Mumbai: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and members of his cabinet visited the renowned temple town of Pandharpur in Maharashtra’s Solapur district Tuesday to offer prayers at the Vitthal-Rukmini temple. The visit is being seen as yet another show of strength by KCR, who has been trying to find a foothold for his party, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (RBS), in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.
KCR arrived in Pandharpur Monday, accompanied by his entire cabinet, BRS lawmakers and workers in a convoy of about 600 vehicles. He also sought permission from the district administration to shower rose petals on Warkaris, which was denied.
Rao’s visit coincided with the arrival of Warkaris or devotees of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur in large numbers for the culmination of their annual pilgrimage on Ashadi Ekadashi. This is perhaps the first time that the chief minister of another state visited the temple town to take part in the annual pilgrimage of Warkaris along with his entire council of ministers.
“We (BRS) started in this state just four months back. So why are all parties here scared of us? If Telangana can progress in such a short span, why can’t Maharashtra? You have given every party here a chance but nobody worked for you. I am proud of being a farmer’s son and hence, can relate to your problems,” KCR told a public meeting in Pandharpur Tuesday.
Watch Live: Leaders from various parties in Maharashtra joining the BRS Party in the presence of Party President, CM Sri KCR, at Solapur. https://t.co/DjJRZpS8cn
— BRS Party (@BRSparty) June 27, 2023
Later in the day, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Bhagirath Bhalke joined the BRS along with his supporters. The son of three-time former MLA late Bharat Bhalke, Bhagirath unsuccessfully contested the Pandharpur assembly bypoll necessitated by his father’s demise in 2020. Bhagirath had announced his decision to join the BRS Sunday.
Welcoming him to the BRS, KCR said that Bhalke had his blessings and “could even become a Union minister”. He added that Bhalke’s “progress is not just about him but the progress of the entire constituency”.
On his part, Bhalke said that after the death of his father, ‘leaders who should have given more attention to the constituency and whom he trusted, did not pay any attention to either him or the constituency’.
The NCP, however, downplayed the BRS’s gain by saying that Bhalke’s decision to switch loyalties will not impact the prospects of the Sharad Pawar-led party and that Bhalke would lose his deposit in the assembly polls next year.
The tripartite Opposition alliance in the state — Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — of which the NCP is a part, has termed the BRS a “B-team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In response, KCR said Tuesday that the BRS is “nobody’s B-team but is on the team of farmers, and (stands) with minorities, Dalits, adivasis (tribals)”.
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BRS’ Maharashtra pitch
Besides inducting leaders from regional parties, the KCR-led party also put up hoardings in Mumbai, Thane and tier-two cities across Maharashtra with the message: “Ab ki baar, kisan sarkar (this time, farmers’ government)”.
On 15 June, KCR inaugurated a BRS office in Nagpur. This was preceded by him addressing at least three rallies in the state (Nanded, Aurangabad and Nagpur) which, according to reports in the media, attracted sizable crowds.
The Telangana chief minister’s pitch in the state is centred around welfare schemes for farmers.
“We are confident of forming a government in Maharashtra and don’t need any alliance with anyone. Our campaign is going strong in all constituencies in the state,” Manik Kadam, BRS’s Maharashtra coordinator and campaign in-charge told ThePrint.
Dashrath Sawant, the party’s north Maharashtra coordinator said the BRS has arranged for cars in all 288 constituencies to go around distributing pamphlets and posters to inform people about the party’s vision.
So far, the BRS has focused its efforts on Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, in districts like Latur, Nanded, Yavatmal and Solapur districts.
“We are telling people how the lives of farmers in Telangana have changed. And if anyone is calling these freebies or saying that the state can’t afford them, don’t listen to them. Farmers do not get their dues and because of this, we will bring a government that will work for the farmers,” Sawant added.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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