As local polls loom, Telangana BJP launches ‘Operation Akarsh' to woo BRS leaders
The first visible shift came on Monday, when former MLA Guvvala Balaraju resigned from the BRS. According to party insiders, several influential leaders from Khammam and Nalgonda districts are now in talks with BJP functionaries and are likely to switch sides soon. The BJP, which has historically underperformed in these districts, sees this as a crucial opportunity to strengthen its base.
The timing is key. The BRS is still reeling from back-to-back setbacks — a poor showing in the assembly elections, followed by a big loss in the Lok Sabha polls.
In the aftermath, 10 of its MLAs defected to the ruling Congress.
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Now, sources suggest that several former MLAs and prominent leaders from the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district — the home turf of chief minister A Revanth Reddy — are also preparing to exit the BRS and join the BJP. Some are already in advanced talks with senior BJP leaders at the district level.
Confirming the outreach,
Telangana BJP
president N Ramchander Rao told TOI: "Yes, some BRS leaders have approached us.
Our focus is to strengthen the party ahead of the local polls. Any decisions will be made after careful evaluation. We cannot name anyone at this stage."
With the BRS reduced to just 39 assembly seats and drawing a blank in the Lok Sabha elections, the party is facing internal discontent and a credibility crisis — giving rivals like the BJP a window to make strategic gains ahead of the next round of elections, a senior political analyst said.
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