BRS not part of Congress-led Opposition meet: non-alignment or deal with BJP?

26 Opposition parties are meeting to decide the possibility of putting up a united front against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

One name missing in the list is that of K Chandrashekhar Rao-led Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti. The Telangana chief minister has not kept his national ambitions hidden but also insists on a non-BJP, non-Congress front.

While that could explain his non-inclusion in a mega Opposition meet of which Congress is a part, there are growing allegations against the BRS of being BJP's B team.

In the last week of June when opposition parties held their first meet, Telangana minister and KCR's son KT Rama Rao held meetings with union ministers in Delhi which reportedly included Amit Shah.

Though the agenda of the meetings was reported to be several projects in Telangana which are stalled due to lack of support from the Centre, there was speculation that allegations of money laundering against KCR's daughter Kavitha may have been discussed. Congress has alleged a quid pro quo between BJP and BRS as part of which BJP will go soft on K Kavitha.

The BRS has been trying to expand its footprints in Maharashtra, KCR has held several rallies. He even led a huge convoy of over 600 vehicles from Hyderabad to Maharashtra’s Solapur and Pandharpur for a two-day visit on June 27 much to the displeasure of the Maha Vikas Agadhi coalition of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

They accused KCR of trying to benefit the saffron party by splitting anti-BJP votes that would go to Maha Vikas Aghadi.