Is KTR Right in Claiming BRS is Not the B-Team of Congress or BJP?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BRS asserts its independence from Congress and BJP.
- KTR critiques the binary political narrative.
- Abstention from voting linked to farmer issues.
- Calls for accountability from larger political parties.
- Emphasis on regional party importance in local governance.
Hyderabad, Sep 9 (NationPress) The working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), K. T. Rama Rao, asserted on Tuesday that BRS is not an auxiliary team for either Congress or BJP. In response to senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's remarks regarding BRS's decision to abstain from voting in the Vice-Presidential election, Rama Rao emphasized that BRS represents the true interests of the people of Telangana.
KTR, as he is commonly known, expressed his rebuttal via ‘X’, stating, “Jairam Ji, your sense of entitlement and arrogance is a major reason for Congress's decline in modern politics. The notion that one must align with either side is a misguided argument that suggests a binary political landscape.”
“We are not the B-team of Congress or BJP; we are the A-team for the people of Telangana. Focus on your own shortcomings rather than directing your frustrations at us,” KTR further stated.
This response came after Jairam Ramesh's tweet, which seemed to criticize BRS and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for their choice to abstain from the election. Ramesh had commented, “Two parties that have consistently supported the BJP in Parliament over the last decade have opted to abstain in the Vice Presidential election tomorrow. What does this signify for the future?”
On Monday, BRS, which holds four seats in the Rajya Sabha, declared its intention to abstain from the election scheduled for Tuesday. KTR explained, “For the past 20 days, we have been alerting both the state and central governments regarding the urea shortage, yet they have ignored our warnings. As a protest and in solidarity with 71 lakh farmers in Telangana, we have chosen not to partake in the Vice Presidential election. If NOTA had been an option, we would have selected it.”
He recalled that BRS had previously offered to support any coalition that could guarantee the delivery of two lakh tonnes of urea to Telangana. As neither the NDA nor the INDIA bloc responded to address the urea shortage for farmers, the party opted to abstain.
KTR emphasized on August 20 that BRS would back any group that could ensure the necessary urea supply for farmers.