Hyderabad: Since K. Chandrashekar Rao served in his second term in December 2018, the party's supreme leadership has alleged the growing dissatisfaction of the party's senior leader T. Harish Rao's leadership within the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
According to Harish Rao supporters, marginalization began soon after KCR's re-election, with Harish being away from the state cabinet for nine months until he was finally elected in September 2019. During this time, they claimed that Harish Rao was confined to his home instead of sending his home, or not following other dispatch activities, or not directing other dispatch activities, or had visited other dispatch activities. His exclusion in the crucial Lok Sabha elections from April to March 2019 further deepened the sense of alienation.
But Harish's political fate appears to be briefly restored in 2021 after BRS leader etala Rajender withdraws. Faced with internal turmoil, the BRS leader turned to Harish Rao, using his grassroots ties and crisis management skills to stabilize the party. His supporters believe it was Harish's leadership that minimized the damage from Rajender's departure and kept the cadres intact.
However, after the BRS lost in the 2023 congress elections, Harish's camp claimed that the pattern of neglect was resurfaced. When KT Rama Rao and KK Kavitha were allowed to travel statewide, Harish Rao was once again confined to the Medak area, limiting his political outreach.
During the BRS celebrations held in Warangal on April 27, it was believed that marginalization has become increasingly obvious. According to insiders, KTR and Kavitha have been appointed to organize events and mobilize cross-regional support, and Harish Rao's participation is limited to Medak. Supporters expressed the painful fact that his photos were clearly missing in the official promotional material for the celebration, which was intentional.
The seating arrangements of Dais further exacerbated dissatisfaction during the Jubilee event, and Harish Rao reportedly failed to comply with a position that reflected his qualifications and figure within the party, reducing his importance to him.
Harish Rao has long been regarded as the party’s “troubleshooting” since its founding in April 2001 and has long been regarded as the second only to KCR’s mass leader, with a deep bond between grassroots leaders and workers. Observers point out that his localized viewing may have profound implications for the internal dynamics of the BRS.
