Expanding the horizon

On December 14, 2022, the National President of Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrashekhar Rao, formally initiated steps to make the presence of BRS felt in the national capital New Delhi, by inaugurating the office headquarters at 5 Sardar Patel Marg and hoisting the party flag, in the presence of an elite gathering. And thus, a new chapter in India's political history has begun. Earlier, CM KCR, accompanied by his wife Smt. Sobharani, participated in the Rajasyamala Yagam Poornahuti performed on the premises and received blessings from Vedic scholars. Thus, KCR the statesman brilliantly showcased BRS in the national capital New Delhi. A sensation in national politics and that too in KCR style!

Those who participated in the impressive programme include, among others, Samajwadi Party leader and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, JDS leader and former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Party President and MP from Tamil Nadu Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan and a host of National Rythu Sangham leaders like Gurnam Singh and others, besides public representatives (MPs, MLAs, MLCs etc.) and ministers from Telangana. In the capacity of BRS National President, and as a follow-up of his slogan 'Ab ki Baar, Kisan Sarkar' towards unfurling the Pink Flag at Red Fort, KCR appointed Gurnam Singh Charuni, Chief of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) in Haryana, as the President of Bharat Rashtra Kisan Samithi (BRS Kisan Cell), and Ravi Kishore as Office Secretary, heralding his proposed action plan.

Tracing back to the genesis of BRS, the first major event that took place was on March 3, 2018, when Chief Minister KCR, for the first time, advocated the need for a qualitative change in the country's political and governance scenario. A year later, sharing his thoughts in the form of national concerns with the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, KCR spelt out the likely philosophy behind his national political plans. This thought process ultimately culminated in the formation of BRS, formally making its presence felt in Delhi. Now the rest is the future.

Consequently, in February this year, KCR gave a call for 'Bangaru Bharat' on the lines of 'Bangaru Telangana' that has been successfully achieved, and articulated the need for a quantum jump in the country's political landscape, which has been in a rut for the past 75 years. He hinted on several occasions that he himself would be leading the emerging alternative. His anguish towards the BJP-led Centre for undermining every institution, the powers of states and the very basic fabric of cooperative federalism became focal points in his series of speeches.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) — the earlier name of the BRS for over two decades — has been progressively marching ahead with a characteristic success, probably unique to it alone. In the process, it has registered two successive remarkable victories in the state assembly elections and is gearing itself for the third one which will be a hattrick. This apart, with the formation of Bharat Rashtra Samithi, there is likely to be a surprise in the national political scenario, and for the first time, possibilities of a South India-based national political party — led by KCR — grabbing power at the Centre, as and when general elections are held, has been strengthened.

As a leader, as a statesman, as a politician, as a designer of development and welfare schemes, as a visionary, as a pragmatist and as an intellectual, KCR, who won the hearts of the people of Telangana at large, is slowly and steadily moving towards filling the gap for the right leadership in the country which, in the present circumstances, is highly indispensable. This would enable the people in the country to benefit from umpteen welfare and development schemes that are being implemented in Telangana as part of the unique 'Telangana Model'.

In tune with this, and as people expected, apart from raising his voice on several occasions, while addressing the TRS plenary on April 27, 2022, in Hyderabad, in his capacity as Party President, CM KCR articulated the need for an 'alternative development agenda' for the country, which is in line with KCR's plans to play a decisive and critical role in national politics. When TRS was launched 22 years ago, despite many airing their doubts, KCR marched ahead, and after 14 years of Gandhian way of relentless struggle, achieved the Telangana State. With this success behind him, KCR has shouldered the responsibility of playing a significant role in national politics. KCR strongly feels that there is a big gap in the country's leadership, and has many a times cited examples of the malfunctioning of the government at the Centre, including lacking wisdom in international diplomacy.

For instance, on June 2, 2022, on the occasion of Telangana State Formation Day, in his address, KCR mentioned the series of injustices inflicted on states by the Centre and highlighted the necessity of an alternate national agenda to build an incredible India in the days to come. He said that though matured democracies have increased public empowerment by decentralising powers and strengthening civil society participation, in India, the same has not taken place in the true spirit of cooperative federalism. KCR, while assuring the people of Telangana, as his bounden duty to protect them and the state till his last breath, said that it is also his duty to fight against the politics of hatred to protect the interests of the country.

While supporting the candidature of Yashwant Sinha for the President's post, KCR pointed out how the Modi government has been bulldozing every institution, basic rights of democracy, and the secular fabric of the nation, ruthlessly, arrogantly and unethically trying to silence the opposition, immorally and illegally toppling the democratically elected state governments, exhibiting the inability to face the aggression of the external enemies and becoming an agent of a few crony capitalists and so on. KCR, in his two-and-a-half-hour media conference on July 10, 2022, in Pragathi Bhavan, Hyderabad, labelled Modi as the most inefficient PM of independent India. KCR said that the one and only Raj Dharma Modi and his BJP government at the Centre know is destabilising and then dislodging the duly-elected opposition party-headed state governments by dishonesty. He hinted that the present dispensation at the Centre shall not be allowed.

Reiterating and reinforcing his active entry into national politics to bring in a qualitative change, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, at a public meeting held in Peddapalli on 29 August, asserted the formation of a farmers' government at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which he later coined as the slogan 'Ab ki Baar, Kisan Sarkar'. For the first time, KCR also gave an unequivocal call for 'BJP-Mukt Bharat' to protect the country from the harmful divisive forces. 'We must endeavour to drive the BJP out of power, by whatever means possible', reasserted KCR during a press meet in Patna after his meeting with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

KCR time and again reminds us how various democratic and Left forces came together under the leadership of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) to trounce the dictatorial ruler of the day, Indira Gandhi, and coming to power in just 40-50 days — hinting at the repeat of the same when the need arises. Arrogance on the part of BJP will no longer be tolerated, warned KCR, citing the downfalls of dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini and Napoleon. KCR also predicted that BJP would be ousted from power within the next 18 months.

Against this background, TRS founder President and Telangana CM KCR moved a resolution changing the name of 'Telangana Rashtra Samithi' (TRS) to 'Bharat Rashtra Samithi' (BRS), on October 5, 2022, with a view to expanding its activities nationwide and receiving recognition as a national political party. Then he declared that 'It is not a hasty decision to float a national party'. In tune with all these progressive developments, KCR brilliantly showcased BRS in the national capital New Delhi which has stormed a nationwide debate and discussion.

The writer is the Chief Public Relations Officer to the CM of Telangana. Views expressed are personal