Bharat Rashtra Samithi has indirectly indicated that it will support the Bharatiya Janata Party-sponsored NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan in the Vice-Presidential elections scheduled to be held on September 9.
Speaking to reporters, BRS working president K T Rama Rao stated that the BRS would extend its support only to the party or alliance that provides two lakh metric tonnes of urea to Telangana farmers by September 9.
“If the Modi government gives urea to Telangana farmers, we will support the NDA candidate. If Rahul Gandhi provides it, we will support the INDIA bloc candidate,” KTR declared.
KTR reacted strongly to the reports that the INDIA bloc had announced the candidature of former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudarshan Reddy following the recommendations of Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
“Revanth Reddy is a third-class chief minister, and the Congress is a third-class party. If the INDIA bloc nominates a candidate proposed by Revanth Reddy, we will definitely oppose it,” he said.
KTR also found fault with the selection of Sudarshan Reddy as the INDIA bloc candidate from Telangana.
“If Revanth really had sincerity towards BCs, why didn’t he recommend a BC candidate like Kancha Ilaiah?” he asked.
However, the BRS working president said the party will discuss and decide whom to support in the Vice-President election.
“So far, neither of the alliances has approached us for support,” he said.
He claimed that the BRS is not part of either NDA or INDIA alliance.
“There is no pressure on us from Delhi. Our only boss is the people of Telangana — we don’t have bosses in Delhi. The BRS is an independent party and it will take its own decision,” he said.
But KTR’s statements clearly indicated that the BRS is not going to support Justice Sudarshan Reddy’s candidature for the simple reason that he was chosen on the suggestion of Revanth Reddy.
He also linked the BRS support to the urea supply to Telangana. If at all the urea has to be supplied to Telangana, it will be done only by the Modi government and not Rahul Gandhi.
“So, there is no meaning in asking Rahul Gandhi to supply urea, if he wants the BRS support to Sudarshan Reddy. It is very clear that the BRS will support the NDA candidate Radhakrishnan,” an analyst said.
