KTR & Harish Rao: Is This Really How BRS Wants to Return to Power?
There is nothing unusual about the BRS trying to return to power by explaining the failures of the Congress government in Telangana to the people. That is exactly what any opposition party would do. However, the approach chosen by the party and its leaders will certainly be taken into consideration by the people. Since the BRS moved into the opposition, the way its key leaders KTR and Harish Rao have been conducting themselves has become a major topic of discussion. Many leaders feel that the statements being made by both these key leaders, both during the ongoing Assembly sessions and outside the House, are doing more harm than good to the BRS politically. There is a growing opinion among many leaders that both KTR and Harish Rao still appear to be stuck in the politics of the Telangana movement era.
People have not forgotten the way BRS leaders conducted themselves during the ten years they were in power. On top of that, BRS Working President KTR repeatedly comments that “Gen Z is watching Revanth Reddy’s rule” and says that for those who took on even Prime Minister Modi, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is hardly a challenge. However, he conveniently seems to be forgetting one important thing here. That same Gen Z has also seen senior leader and former minister Harish Rao remove his T-shirt in front of the Assembly in the presence of women police personnel and women MLAs. They have also witnessed the conduct of KTR and other MLAs who allegedly behaved aggressively with the police. Apart from the Gen Z that KTR repeatedly refers to, no one who thinks with even a little maturity has supported these actions.
Nobody has objected to the BRS fighting against the Congress government over its failures, delays in implementing its promises, or any other issue concerning the Congress government or Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. On the other hand, BRS MLC Tata Madhu made extremely objectionable and completely indefensible remarks against the Assembly Speaker. Even though the remarks were recorded on video, BRS leaders KTR and Harish Rao tried to claim that their party member had not made such remarks and that they were not directed at the Speaker. Adding to the controversy is the incident in which Congress leaders and party workers reportedly held a protest procession at the farmhouse where KCR stays, following which the area was allegedly purified with turmeric water. This issue is also now creating a political storm.
Some BRS leaders feel that instead of explaining the Congress government's failures to the people and creating a favorable political atmosphere for the party, KTR and Harish Rao are pushing the BRS further into a difficult position through their actions. They say this is not good for the party at all. Meanwhile, BRS chief KCR staying confined to his farmhouse and not attending the Assembly sessions, despite the fact that only a few days of Assembly proceedings have been held during the past 1,000 days, is also sending the wrong signals to the people. During the Telangana movement, the actions of BRS leaders received public acceptance regardless of how they conducted themselves.
But after the formation of Telangana, the BRS is unlikely to receive the same support for its actions from the new generation of young voters who have emerged over the past 12 years. When the BRS was in power, its leaders described the Assembly as a “temple.” Now, however, their actions of removing their shirts in front of the Assembly and behaving in a manner that allegedly involves attacking the police are not receiving any public support. If the BRS wants to return to power, simply fighting against the government is not enough. It is equally important how the party's key leaders treat institutions and people during that process.
