The Bharatiya Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) has been facing factional strife within the party, which has been revealed in the Athmeeya Sammelanam meetings being organised by the party in various constituencies. These congregations have exposed a lack of coordination and mutual disagreement among the leaders of the Rose Party, making it difficult for the party to achieve its desired goals.
Moreover, the fact that these gatherings, which are supposed to signal unity, are giving platforms to show group politics within the party has put the BRS leadership in a quandary. In most constituencies, there are several aspirants hoping for party tickets in the upcoming elections to compete with the sitting BRS MLAs. However, as these congregations are conducted under the supervision of sitting MLAs, leaders hoping for a ticket against them are not attending these gatherings as they do not receive invitations.
Those who have received invitations are staying away due to disagreements, exposing factional struggles and differences among BRS leaders in various constituencies. For instance, Former MLA Vemula Veeresham, Former MLC Neti Vidyasagar, and their associates are staying away from the Athmeeya gatherings organised by MLA Chirumurthy Lingaiah in Nakrekal constituency. Similarly, MLC Kotireddy and his supporters are absent from gatherings organised by MLA Nomula Bhagat in Nagarjunasagar constituency.
Other examples include Kanmantha Reddy Sasidhar Reddy, Venepalli Chandra Rao, and their followers staying away from meetings headed by MLA BollamMallaiah in Kodad; former MLC Karne Prabhakar, Palle Ravi, Kancharla Krishna Reddy, and their supporters being absent from MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy’s gatherings in Munugodu; and MLA ticket aspirants, party founder member Chada Kishan Reddy, Councillor Pilli Ramaraju, and their supporters not attending gatherings of MLA Kancharla Bhupal Reddy in Nalgonda.
Furthermore, former MLA Budida Bhikshamayya Goud’s group is far away from MLA Gongidi Sunita Mahender Reddy’s gatherings in Aleru, and the followers of Chintala Venkateshwar Reddy are maintaining distance from gatherings going on under the supervision of MLA P Sekhar Reddy in Bhuvanagiri. Those who disagree with Tungaturti MLA Gadari Kishore, Deverakonda MLA R Ravindra Kumar, and Miryalguda MLA N Bhaskara Rao are also not attending respective leaders’ gatherings.
Half of the Athmeeya congregations have been completed in all the constituencies so far, but it remains to be seen whether the disgruntled leaders will attend the rest of the congregations. This factional strife within the BRS party is likely to have an impact on the upcoming elections.
