KCR eyes Rayalaseema to shore up BRS prospects

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President K Chandrashekhar Rao is eyeing to strengthen the party in Andhra Pradesh. After appointing the AP state unit BRS President T Chandrashekhar Rao, from the coastal Andhra region, the BRS Chief will focus on the Rayalaseema region.

It is learnt that KCR was planning to hold a meeting with some selected leaders from different parties from Rayalaseema districts soon. "KCR and AP BRS Chief discussed political developments in the Rayalaseema region and decided to invite some leaders, who are fighting for the development of backward Rayalaseema region, to Pragati Bhavan and discuss the issues about Rayalaseema politics."

Sources said that KCR was preparing BRS political strategy exclusively for the Rayalaseema region, where politics differ from other parts of Andhra Pradesh. "Group politics are more in Rayalaseema, and faction politics also exists in some parts of the region. The BRS Chief already made a statement that Rayalaseema will be promoted as Ratanala seema (diamond region) during his visit to Tirupati a few years ago. The BRS Chief has a particular vision to develop the Rayalaseema region."

As the BRS was already planning to hold a public meeting in Visakhapatnam or some other place in the North Coastal Andhra districts, sources said that KCR would hold a meeting with some Rayalaseema leaders and involve them in the party affairs.

Leaders said that KCR was maintaining good relations with some senior leaders of the Rayalaseema region, and he will seek their cooperation to expand the BRS footprint in the specific regions in Andhra Pradesh.

The associations fighting for Rayalaseema development and special funds for the backward area were already in touch with BRS AP unit leaders. "A road map on how to proceed the BRS in Rayalaseema region will come only after holding a meeting with some selected leaders by KCR in Hyderabad," a senior leader said that the BRS will prepare a political agenda for Andhra Pradesh after holding the meeting with Rayalaseema leaders.