Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is making preparations to launch his party in the neighboring Andhra Pradesh as well, as part of his national mission.
According to party sources, the BRS might contest the next assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, which will be held a few months after the assembly elections in Telangana, scheduled to be held in December.
But KCR has to prepare the ground for the expansion of the party in Andhra Pradesh, too.
For that, he needs potential leaders and cadres in that state, which is not so easy in view of the anti-KCR sentiment among the people there.
Sources said the BRS president is looking for strong leaders from other political parties to develop the party network.
It is learnt he is targeting the Telugu Desam Party leaders who have strong connections with Telangana.
According to these sources, KCR has identified some Andhra leaders who have huge properties and business interests in and around Hyderabad.
They would be lured into the BRS and made to contest the next elections.
“Since their properties in Telangana are facing several disputes, they are maintaining friendly relations with the BRS government. If they reject KCR’s offer, they might lose heavily. So, they might join the BRS to protect their business interests,” a source said.
It is learnt the task of attracting potential TDP leaders into the BRS has been entrusted to Telangana minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, who has wide connections with Andhra leaders, particularly the TDP leaders.
“As of now, he is learnt to have got in touch with a former minister from Guntur district and another young leader from Krishna district and both of them have reportedly agreed to join the BRS. More leaders might join once KCR formally opens his party office in Vijayawada next month,” sources added.
