Is BRS helping the BRS by splitting Dalit votes?

What s the BSP up to in the coming elections in Telagnana? Is it meant to raise the Dalit related issues and consolidate the Dalit votes? Or is it meant to split the Dalit votes so that it can ultimately help the ruling BRS in the voting? The jury is out on this issue, but the doubts are growing by each passing day as to what the real intention of the BSP is.

The BSP had contested 109 seats in the 2018 elections and polled just 2.3 per cent votes. It lost its security deposit in 102 seats. This means the party had put up a semblance of fight only in just seven seats, but failed to win any. This time around, the party is contesting all the 119 seats. Though its state chief RS Praveen Kumar has been claiming that the party wants to consolidate the Dalit votes, there are lingering doubts about the real intentions.

The Congress Party strongly feels that the BSP is in the fray only to divide the Dalit votes, which traditionally go to the Congress Party. By dividing the Dalit votes, the BRS will help the BRS, which is finding it difficult to get Dalit votes. Thus the party will play the role of the spoiler, argues the Congress Party.

The ruling BRS has not been much successful in getting the Dalit votes. Despite schemes like the Dalit Bandhu, it is not able to woo the Dalits. The Congress feels that both the BSP and the BJP will only help in splitting the Dalit vote block. The BJP’s support to Madiga reservation categorisation too will only end up helping the BRS.