KCR reignites cadre spirit as as BRS eyes rural resurgence

BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao electrified Telangana Bhavan with a fiery address during a joint session of the Legislature Party and state executive committee. He vowed to confront rivals head-on while energising party cadres ahead of upcoming local body elections.

Hyderabad: A wave of excitement swept through Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), as party president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao reached the venue on Sunday for a key joint session of the BRS Legislature Party and State Executive Committee.

The party office turned into a vibrant sea of pink, with cars bearing pink flags clogging roads leading to the spot. Large crowds, including newly elected sarpanches carrying portraits of Chandrashekhar Rao, jostled at the gates, creating an electrifying atmosphere of defiance and loyalty.

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Slogans such as “KCR Nayakatvam Vardhillali” (Let K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s Leadership Flourish) and “Jai Telangana” echoed inside the hall and among supporters outside. This surge in enthusiasm was fuelled by the BRS’s strong performance in the recently concluded three-phase gram panchayat elections held on December 11, 14, and 17.

Although officially non-partisan, the polls saw informal backing from major parties, with BRS proving its grip on rural Telangana, and though it emerged second, delivered a shock to the ruling Congress in crucial areas.

The party dominated in several pockets, including the north Telangana districts and even in assembly constituencies where the Congress had dominated during the last Assembly polls, indicating growing public discontent against the ruling party.

Attended by senior leaders, MPs, MLAs, and MLCs, the meeting came at a critical juncture as BRS aims to capitalise on public discontent with the Congress government. Chandrashekhar Rao directed participants to prioritise safeguarding Telangana’s interests in Krishna and Godavari river water-sharing disputes. Party workers whispered “the Boss is back,” reflecting optimism among cadres.

Aspirants for upcoming Mandal Praja Parishad (MPTC) and Zilla Praja Parishad (ZPTC) elections credited Chandrashekhar Rao’s motivational calls for boosting morale and strengthening the party’s rural base, with the BRS leadership also viewing the panchayat results as a foundation for future successes.

The former Chief Minister tore into the Congress government for the meek surrender of State water entitlements to Andhra Pradesh for no valid reason, and by yielding to the tactics of the NDA government. He lashed out both at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the BJP leadership for their role in depriving the Palamuru region of its due in allocation of Krishna waters.

He recalled that Naidu had left the erstwhile Mahabubnagar in the grips of acute scarcity conditions, thus triggering a massive exodus to cities like Mumbai even after adopting the districts in the undivided AP State.

He held the present Congress government squarely responsible for the rejection of the DPR of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project intended for giving water to over 12.30 lakh acres in Palamuru region.

The BRS government had spent over Rs 27,000 crore completing nearly 90 percent of the works on the project by installing the Bahubalii pumping units of 145 MW capacity, first of their kind in the world, with an intention to avail the State’s water entitlement before the AP’s Pothireddypadu head regulator took it all.

Additionally, over 6.5 lakh acres of parched lands in the district were given irrigation support by the BRS regime, he recalled during the meeting, and later in the press conference as well.