Hyderabad: The BRS is not interested in participating in the Rajya Sabha bye-election. The party fears that its MLAs might cross-vote if the election is held.
The Election Commission of India has announced a bye-election for a Rajya Sabha seat from Telangana. This seat was originally held by the BRS. However, it became vacant after K Keshava Rao, the BRS Parliamentary Party leader, resigned and joined the Congress party.
The BRS used to have 39 seats but now has only 28 due to several MLAs defecting. The party recently lost the Cantonment bye-election, where their candidate Nivedita was defeated by Sri Ganesh of the Congress party. Additionally, nine more BRS MLAs have switched to the Congress. Party leaders believe contesting the election might lead to further embarrassment and cross-voting.
A senior BRS leader mentioned that the party lacks enough strength. Even if they issue whips to their members, there is uncertainty about how many would remain loyal.
The party has also been struggling after a poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Rumors of a possible merger between the BRS and BJP have further unsettled the party cadre.
The BRS now aims to focus on the upcoming panchayat elections. A BRS leader expressed confidence that rural people are disillusioned with the Congress government due to cuts in the Rythu Bandhu scheme and reduced loan waivers. They believe this will lead to increased support for the BRS in future elections.
