BRS to Focus on 50 'Weak Constituencies', Drafts Special Poll Strategy

Hyderabad: The BRS has decided to focus on 50 Assembly constituencies, where the surveys commissioned by the party leadership have indicated that it will face a tough fight from the Opposition parties. This is part of a special strategy to step up activities ahead of the elections.

As part of this strategy, party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao will address public meetings in ‘vulnerable’ constituencies beginning from the month-end, besides launching schemes and distributing sops to reduce the anti-incumbency factor.

BRS sources said that the party leadership has attempted this strategy on a 'trial basis' in a few constituencies in June and the public feedback was 'encouraging'. The Chief Minister covered Nirmal, Nagarkurnool, Mancherial, Gadwal and Asifabad, where he announced welfare schemes last month. He started the distribution of pattas for podu lands in Asifabad on June 30, while Rama Rao did so in Mahbubabad and Harish Rao in Kothagudem.

Party sources said that the BRS fared badly in all these constituencies in the surveys, which projected an intense triangular contest with the Congress and BJP.

On the conclusion of the inauspicious ‘Ashada masam’ on July 17, the party leadership is planning to hold public meetings in some more 'weak constituencies' where they will launch new schemes.

The ruling party leaders will distribute ₹1 lakh each to beneficiaries from the Backward Classes communities in accordance with caste-based professions and ₹3 lakh to each poor family for constructing houses on their own plots. This apart, they will distribute ₹10 lakh to beneficiaries under Dalit Bandhu phase-2.

The presence of the big three in these constituencies will boost the morale of local leaders and cadre and help them to take on opposition parties at their own game, sources said.