Editorial: New era in national politics

The launch of BRS is expected to generate hope, given the depressing slide that the country has been witnessing over the last few years.

Hyderabad: Never in the recent past has the threat to federalism been as serious as it is now under the NDA regime. The need for building an anti-BJP alternative at the national level is a historic necessity now to save the soul of India. Unfortunately, a splintered opposition, the absence of a common agenda and cohesion among the challengers of the right-wing politics have all contributed to the consolidation of communal forces in the country. However, with the Election Commission giving its consent to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a new chapter has begun in Indian politics, a development that is bound to rewrite the history of national politics.

Telangana’s trailblazing journey, marked by innovative and impactful welfare schemes and all-round development, has the potential to be replicated across the country. As an architect of the Telangana statehood movement and as someone who has transformed the new State as a role model for development, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is well-positioned to lead the political movement at the national level and become a catalyst for the change. With a string of welfare and development initiatives, Telangana represents the triumph of optimism over the prophecies of doom and the victory of perseverance over scepticism. Its flagship schemes, which have earned accolades from several central agencies, could be replicated in other States in future, once the BRS wins the public mandate.

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We are living in challenging times. On the one hand, the core values of federalism are under threat with the BJP-led NDA government systematically trying to usurp the rights of the States and dilute the autonomy of the constitutional institutions while on the other, the pursuit of politics of communal polarisation and hatred is weakening the fabric of our society and the secular foundation. There is a growing sense of despondency and frustration, particularly among the youth, over the wrong path that the country is being led into.

The foray into national politics constitutes a natural progression for a party that has single-handedly achieved the Statehood goal and put Telangana on a high growth trajectory. More than ever before, the time is now ripe for bringing together progressive forces at the national level to arrest the depressing slide that the country has been witnessing over the last few years and restore social harmony which is essential for growth and prosperity. Regional parties, which represent the local aspirations, must come together with other like-minded parties to forge an alternative national front that will mark the celebration of true federal spirit. The people are now looking for a qualitative change in politics that ensures social justice and faster growth. The timely launch of BRS is expected to generate optimism and hope across the country, given its mission to build a new national alliance based on an alternative policy agenda.