Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Friday formally launched the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) by signing the Election Commission letter approving the name change of the party at the auspicious time of 1.20 pm at Telangana Bhavan. The ECI had sent the letter on Thursday.
JD (S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and actor and social activist Prakash Raj, were at the event and congratulated the Chief Minister.
Rao first garlanded the statue of Telangana Thalli and later offered special puja to Goddess Trailokya Mohana Gauri. Vedic scholars blessed the CM.
Amid cheers, Rao hoisted the new party's flag emblazoned with the map of India, which replaced the Telangana map and the name Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telugu and English.
The party's 'car' symbol was missing from the flag. The 'khanduvas' worn by the CM and party leaders did not have the car symbol.
Minister K.T. Rama Rao was not in the room while the party president signed the papers. Rajya Sabha member J. Santosh Kumar handed over the papers and assisted the Chief Minister in signing it in the presence of Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, Assembly Speaker P. Srinivas Reddy, a few ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs.
Rama Rao along with ministers G. Jagadish Reddy, Sabitha Indra Reddy, Gangula Kamalalkar and Satyavathy Rathod waited at the flag pole. However, Rama Rao returned to the meeting hall where the party president spoke after
hoisting the BRS flag.
Party workers gathered outside the venue, celebrating with slogan-shouting, beating of drums, dances, bursting fire crackers and distributing sweets.
The CM ended his speech with "Jai Bharat." He did not raise the "Jai Telagnana" slogan, his usual practice.
