KCR devises roadmap for BRS expansion

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, who is camping in Delhi since Tuesday, is learnt to have devised a roadmap for expansion of his newly-launched Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) to various states.

This is the CM's first visit to Delhi after he announced the decision to rename TRS as BRS on October 5 and his prolonged stay in Delhi has fuelled speculation about his next moves.

Although Rao has been confined to his official residence on Tughlaq Road in New Delhi, party sources say he has been speaking on the phone with leaders of organisations representing farmers, Dalits, and OBCs.

Sources said Rao informed them about his plans to hold ‘Dalit Conclave’ in Hyderabad after the Munugode bypoll and invites Dalit organisations to discuss schemes and programmes for empowerment of the community. He also intends to meet with representatives of local bodies in Maharashtra and Karnataka to seek their support.

Sarpanches and other leaders from villages and towns in Maharashtra bordering Telangana have submitted a representation to minister A. Indrakaran Reddy and Mudhole MLA G. Vithal Reddy extending their support to the BRS and requesting them to arrange a meeting with the CM to discuss on contesting local bodies elections on behalf of BRS. Similar requests were received from villages in Karnataka bordering Telangana.

The CM was supposed to return to the city on Sunday, but stayed back in the national capital. He is reportedly monitoring the Mungude bypoll campaign and strategy from Delhi for a few hours each day, making phone calls to ministers K.T. Rama Rao and G. Jagadish Reddy, as well as other ministers and party MLAs who are camping in Munugode and giving them instructions on the party's strategy.

Rao arrived in Delhi on Tuesday evening after attending the funeral of former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh. He then inspected the office building on Sardar Patel Road, from where the BRS will temporarily launch its operations. On Wednesday, He inspected the progress of the construction of the party’s own office in Vasant Vihar.