BRS to launch operations in six States after Christmas

Party President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is expected to convene a meeting in Delhi after Christmas and announce the party's course of action.

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is all set to shift gears and expand operations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana among other States across the country in the last week of December.

Party President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is expected to convene a meeting in Delhi after Christmas and announce the party’s course of action.

In the wake of the Election Commission of India (ECI) giving a formal approval to change the party’s name from Telangana Rashtra Samithi to Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the party leaders have expedited efforts to spread the party ideology across the country. The party national office was opened in Delhi on December 14, attracting national attention.

While former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav from Uttar Pradesh and HD Kumaraswamy from Karnataka attended the party office inaugural, people from various walks of life including politicians, farmers leaders, intelligentia and other eminent people had extended their support and some of them even evinced interest to join the party immediately. However, the Chief Minister advised them to wait until the party agenda was announced.

Chandrashekhar Rao has now finalised the party’s expansion plans and accordingly, the BRS affiliated farmers cell Bharat Rashtra Kisan Samithi (BRKS) will commence its operations in six States by the end of December. The field-level work has already begun in this regard, party sources said.

Immediately thereafter, the party will open its units in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Odisha. The party leadership is of the view that this will send a strong signal to the people on its priorities. Farmers and sustainable agriculture will remain a priority for BRS, they said.

Some senior BRS leaders have been already assigned to coordinate with leaders from other States, as an increasing number of senior politicians including sitting and former MLAs from other States have already expressed their readiness to join the BRS. Most of them have been holding consultations with Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao over the last a few weeks and were asked to be fully prepared to join the BRS after he announces the party agenda in Delhi next week. Taking into consideration of various factors including geographical, social and cultural aspects, these leaders were asked to work in the best interests of the local people.

Sources said there was an overwhelming response from Andhra Pradesh considering the visible development in Telangana after the formation of the new State. About 80 leaders including student and farmers unions leaders, have already met the Chief Minister and have begun field level preparations to join the BRS.

“Arrangements are being made so that soon after the Chief Minister unveils the party agenda in Delhi, the BRKS units will begin operations in six States apart from Telangana. To create awareness about the party agenda and manifesto among the people, he has been consulting literary experts, poets and others to take forward the BRS agenda to fulfill aspirations of the unemployed youth, women and others,” the sources said.

The party leadership will also identify priority sectors including politics, social, financial and cultural to bring about a qualitative change. It has been decided to spread the party ideology through audio and video songs in local languages of different States.

Though he had outlined the party’s priorities earlier, Chandrashekhar Rao is likely to unveil the party’s agenda as well as the action plan before the national media in Delhi in the last week of December. He is expected to elaborate on the need for qualitative change in different sectors, the party’s ideology and its development plan for the nation.