BRS, BSP to have truck for Lok Sabha elections

Hyderabad: Even as the LS elections are nearing, a new alliance has emerged in Telangana. The party which ruled the State two times in a row is looking for an alliance and that too with a party which had minimum presence in the State. The BRS has decided to have an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party in the State for the polls.

The decision was taken after a meeting of BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao with BSP State president RS Praveen Kumar. He met former CM at his residence in Nandinagar on Tuesday. The alliance talk has become a topic of discussion in political circles because the BSP had recently contested the Assembly elections and secured just 1.8% votes. The party State chief lost in Sirpur.The party had secured only 2% vote share in the 2018 elections.

According to party leaders, Praveen Kumar is likely to contest either from Nagarkurnool or Warangal or from any other general seat. KCR is said to be keen on giving two-three seats to BSP.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Rao said they had decided to contest the LS elections collectively. Both parties are same as per principles. "We have taken up many programmes for dalits, besides ‘Dalit Bandhu’. We have also taken permission from the BSP high command regarding the alliance; we will declare policies and seat-sharing later," said Rao. He would talk to BSP supremo Mayawati in a couple of days.

Kumar alleged that secularism was under threat in the country. ‘The BJP is behaving in a dangerous manner. KCR has been preserving secularism. Even the Congress is also behaving like the BJP. " The seat sharing adjustment will be done by the high command. The friendship will change lives of people in Telangana. KCR will talk to Mayavati; later there will be a decision on seats," he said.

Kumar alleged that more communal clashes were registered during the Congress rule. There were communal clashes in Janwada, but CM A Revanth Reddy did not bother to speak on it. The Congress has no relation with secularism, he said. Replying to a question, Kumar said his comments against KCR during the Assembly elections remains the same; he was not targeting an individual, but will fight wherever injustice is done to Bahujans.