In a calculated political move, the Congress has refrained from inviting the BRS to the public meeting to be organised on January 30 at Srinagar to mark the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo yatra. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has sent personal invitations to the leaders of 21 political parties. But, both KCR-led BRS and Arvind Kejriwal's AAP were excluded from the list of invitees.
This is being seen as a significant move as Telangana will soon witness elections and the Congress is one of the main challengers to the BRS. If the BRS attends the meeting, the Congress would be seen as a lackey of the ruling BRS and this will make the chances of the party. At the same time, the BJP will use this to gain an upper hand in the elections.
There have been rumours of a secret alliance between the Congress and the TRS. Many argue that the TRS used the Congress at the time of Dubbak election and Munugode bypoll. Given this, BRS presence at the Srinagar meet would send wrong signals, Congress leaders pointed out.
Hence, the Congress Party's national leadership, which has invited parties like the Trinamool Congress, NCP, JDU, Shiv Sena, TDP, National Conference, PDP, RJD, RLSP, HAM, SP, BSP, DMK, MDMK, VCK, IUML, KSM, RSP, CPM, CPI, JMM and veteran politician Sharad Yadav, has not sent any invite to the BRS.
Clearly, both BRS and the Congress have taken care to ensure that their political interests are protected. In fact, ahead of the 2019 general election, the BRS had actively propagated the idea of a Federal Front comprising non-Congress, non-BJP parties. In its earlier avatar, the BRS also encouraged defections from the Congress in order to weaken it.
This is being seen as a significant move as Telangana will soon witness elections and the Congress is one of the main challengers to the BRS. If the BRS attends the meeting, the Congress would be seen as a lackey of the ruling BRS and this will make the chances of the party. At the same time, the BJP will use this to gain an upper hand in the elections.
There have been rumours of a secret alliance between the Congress and the TRS. Many argue that the TRS used the Congress at the time of Dubbak election and Munugode bypoll. Given this, BRS presence at the Srinagar meet would send wrong signals, Congress leaders pointed out.
Hence, the Congress Party's national leadership, which has invited parties like the Trinamool Congress, NCP, JDU, Shiv Sena, TDP, National Conference, PDP, RJD, RLSP, HAM, SP, BSP, DMK, MDMK, VCK, IUML, KSM, RSP, CPM, CPI, JMM and veteran politician Sharad Yadav, has not sent any invite to the BRS.
Clearly, both BRS and the Congress have taken care to ensure that their political interests are protected. In fact, ahead of the 2019 general election, the BRS had actively propagated the idea of a Federal Front comprising non-Congress, non-BJP parties. In its earlier avatar, the BRS also encouraged defections from the Congress in order to weaken it.