HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) appears to have changed its enemy list. For years, BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao and his son K.T. Rama Rao framed TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu as the ultimate Andhra villain to fuel Telangana sentiment. After losing power, that pitch only intensified. But “Chandrababu villain” narrative is delivering diminishing returns for BRS.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has now replaced Naidu as BRS’s most immediate threat, as per recent developments in the Kothagudem municipal corporation elections. The clearest sign of this shift is KTR’s unexpected olive branch to the CPI in Kothagudem.
KTR himself disclosed that he spoke with CPI leader and MLA K Sambasiva Rao and made the offer. This comes just couple of days after KTR said Revanth Reddy carried bags of Chandrababu Naidu in most derogatory manner.
Even though the CPI contested in alliance with the TDP, KTR offered BRS’s eight seats to help the Left party secure the Mayor post. By backing a TDP ally, BRS signalled that keeping Revanth Reddy’s Congress out of power matters more than continuing its fight against the TDP.
In the 60-ward Kothagudem municipality, the numbers underline the stakes. Congress and CPI won 22 divisions each. By adding its eight seats to CPI’s tally, BRS could have created a 30-member bloc, just one short of a majority. However, Congress managed to hold its ally, and the Mayor’s post will now be shared between Congress and CPI for two and a half years each.
On Sunday, KTR said BRS’s primary objective was to prevent what he called exploitation in Singareni and protect workers’ interests. He maintained that support to CPI was guided by concern for Singareni employees. He also alleged that the BJP and Congress were acting in ways that harmed Singareni. Referring to the CPI-Congress understanding, he said power-sharing was unsurprising since they were allies. But he questioned why AITUC, affiliated with CPI, agreed to the arrangement, hinting at possible pressure.
Invoking Singareni allowed BRS to shield itself from criticism that it was indirectly aiding a TDP ally. Meanwhile, Kavitha criticised the move, questioning how BRS could align with a party it once dismissed as a “toka party.”
For BRS, the contest is now internal. Revanth Reddy’s ability to consolidate urban voters, evident in the 2026 municipal elections, makes him a more immediate and formidable adversary than a legacy rival from across the border.
