KCR Shifts Focus From Vijayawada To Vizag

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has cast focus on expanding the presence of his party — Bharat Rashtra Samiti, since he renamed the TRS in December last year. According to reports, the BRS is planning to contest from 12 ZPTC constituencies in neighbouring Maharashtra. This led to speculation that KCR is keen in spreading the party’s base in Maharashtra than in Andhra Pradesh as there had been no political activity of the BRS except for a few AP leaders joining the party on January 2 this year.

Putting an end to these doubts, the BRS is reportedly planning a huge public meeting in Vizag in the third week of April. It is learnt that minister Srinivas Yadav was entrusted the responsibilities of organizing and making arrangements for the Vizag meeting. Initially, KCR thought of holding the public meeting in Vijayawada. However, after the results of the MLC elections were out, he changed his mind. There is talk that KCR had come to a decision that there is no support to the Vizag as capital slogan raised by YCP boss and CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, after the MLC results were announced. The BRS would support to Amaravati as the lone capital of AP, party sources said.

This apart, KCR is also thinking that mobilizing BRS supporters from neighbouring Odisha would be easy if the public meeting is held in Vizag. Odisha former CM Giridhar Gamang, who joined the BRS, also reportedly suggested that the event be held in Visakhapatnam.

On the other hand, minister K.T. Rama Rao’s tweets about Vizag Steel Plant can also be considered as a curtain raiser for the BRS’ Target Vizag idea. Recently, KTR called upon the Telugu people to stall privatization of the Rs 1.5 lakh crore PSU alleging that it is a conspiracy by the BJP government to handover the steel giant to Modi’s corporate friends.

KTR also demanded that the Centre should release the working capital for the Vizag Steel Plant and also buy the steel products produced by the plant. He also asked the BRS-AP chief Thota Chandrasekhar Rao to express solidarity with the VSP employees who have been protesting against the privatization of the plant for the last few months.

It has to be seen how the BRS action plan would work out.