Leaders of BJP, BRS want to join our party, says Congress leader

AICC in-charge for Telangana says BJP is nowhere in the picture in Telangana politics and after the Karnataka results its worries have increased

Manikrao Thakre

“Several leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) are eager to join the Congress that is strengthening every day, leaving the BJP way behind and BRS worried,” the AICC in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre said.

Anti-incumbency fear

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Thakare said the BJP is nowhere in the picture in Telangana politics and after the Karnataka results its worries have increased with the popularity sliding rapidly in Telangana. “On the other hand, the BRS is worried over the rising anti-incumbency against it, and particularly the farmers and youth are angry over the government’s treatment of them,” he said.

However, the Congress will not open the gates for everyone and the interests of the long-standing Congress leaders and committed cadre would be kept in mind while admitting those from the BJP and the BRS. “The District Congress Committees and senior leaders in the constituencies will have their say and their opinions will be considered,” he said.

The BRS graph is down and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao too has realised that the Congress was gaining rapidly, he claimed, adding that the recent change of track indicates Mr. Rao’s fear. “He is proving us to be right on what we have been saying that both the BRS and the BJP are together, and his recent statements are a clear indication of that,” he said.

Mr. Thakre argued that KCR’s silence over the BJP was noticeable and his sharp attack on the Congress increased, realising that BJP’s fortunes cannot be upped despite his best efforts to project it as the principal Opposition in Telangana. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao has turned his ire against Congress trying to use age-old tactics of making sweeping statements for catchy headlines in the media. But little will he gain as people have already decided to throw the BRS out.

On the internal bickering in the Congress, the former Maharashtra Minister said they were few and under control and not as perceived and projected by the media. All the senior leaders are working together and in their own space as well. On the early announcement of tickets, he said the party high command will take a decision at the right time but the issue has some significance with the demand coming from the local leadership.

Manikrao Thakre says BJP is nowhere in the picture in Telangana politics, and after Karnataka poll result its worries have increased