BRS has no plans to contest K’taka Assembly polls: Kumaraswamy

PTI, Oct 6, 2022, 8:31 PM IST

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Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has no intention to contest Assembly polls in Karnataka, but is thinking about fielding candidates in a couple of constituencies in border areas for the next Lok Sabha polls.

The former Chief Minister said the BRS may support JD(S) in ”15-20 Telugu- speaking” Assembly constituencies in the State bordering Telangana, where they may have influence.

”They (BRS) will not contest the Assembly polls, by going with them, we want to join hands in their fight aimed at finding a permanent solution to issues faced by farmers, dalits and other weaker sections. Rather than building an alternative force against the party in power at the Centre (BJP) it is to find solutions to the issues faced by the nation,” Kumaraswamy said.

”I like his (Rao) thinking and so both of us together in the days to come will work for the downtrodden sections…we will work together on an issue-based partnership,” he told reporters here.

Seeking to expand its electoral footprint beyond Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Wednesday changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), in the presence of Kumaraswamy, with Chief Minister Rao eyeing a national role ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Kumaraswamy said Telangana Chief Minister has further agreed to support JD(S) and its candidates in the Telugu-speaking areas in Karnataka where his party has influence.

”In about 15-20 constituencies, they may influence, in my opinion, in Telugu- speaking belts in the districts of Kolar, (and) Hyderabad Karnataka region,” he said.

Reiterating that BRS has no intention to contest the Assembly polls in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy, in response to a question, said but for Lok Sabha polls, they have plans to field candidates in a couple of constituencies in the border areas with Telangana.

”They have plans to field candidates in about 100-150 constituencies (LS across the country)…but all that will be based on the national picture that emerges in the days to come,” he said.

Ruling out any intention to go to national politics, Kumaraswamy said his strength and fight is in Karnataka, but the 2023 Assembly poll results here may set a stage for bringing in certain changes in the national politics.