BRS looking for multilingual leaders for national expansion

ADILABAD: With the regional Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) transforming itself into the national Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), demand has risen for party leaders who are multi-lingual. The idea is to utilise the language skills of these leaders for expanding the BRS nationally, starting with the neighbouring states.

Leaders who can fluently speak Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Banjara, Gondi, Gujarati and Punjabi are being sought. These leaders are to be deployed for creating a foothold for BRS in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka in the immediate future and even Gujarat and Punjab later.

Take the example of Sardar Ravinder Singh, a BRS leader and prominent member of Sikh community who had gone on to become the mayor of Karimnagar. He became a rebel when he was not given ticket to contest the local body MLC elections. Though he lost against the TRS candidate, he has since been made chairman of the Civil Supplies Corporation.

Ravinder Singh’s knowledge of Punjabi is said to have been put to good use during the visit of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to Hyderabad. He has been seen with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao during the latter’s visits to Delhi and Punjab as part of promoting the BRS.

News is that Ravinder Singh is playing a role in organising a public meeting soon at Nanded in Maharashtra that will be addressed by the Chief Minister. Nanded has a huge Sikh population and a prominent gurudwara.

BRS leaders like Indrakaran Reddy, Vittal Reddy and Jogu Ramanna, with knowledge of Marathi and Adivasi languages, are playing a key role in the expansion of BRS activities in bordering areas of Maharashtra. Besides Lambadas and Adivasis, there are many Telugu-speaking Munnurukapu and Reddy community families living in the bordering areas of Chandrapur, Nanded and Yavathmal districts of Maharashtra. Mudhole, Asfiabad, Sirpur (T), Boath and Adilabad assembly constituencies share their borders with Maharashtra.

Mudhole TRS MLA Vittal Reddy’s father late Gaddanna was a popular leader in bordering areas of the two states. Asifabad ZP chairperson Kova Laxmi is participating in programmes in the Rajura assembly constituency since she has good relations with Adivasis of the area.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Adilabad BRS MLA Jogu Ramanna said he has a long association with the people bordering Maharashtra and has many relatives in bordering villages. There are many Marathi and Hindi-speaking families in Jainad, Bela, and Adilabad Rural mandals that share the border with Maharashtra. The MLA has grown up in the area learning Marathi and Hindi.

Jogu Ramanna said a natural demand has been created for leaders who can speak Marathi, Hindi, Gondi, and Banjara, since their services are needed for expansion of BRS in the neighbouring state.