KTR sees fertile ground for KCR’s third-front revival at national level

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). File

Is the third-front initiative envisioned by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrashekar Rao still a viable political proposition?

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao believes the political circumstances are becoming increasingly favourable for such an experiment, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi facing challenges on multiple fronts and the Congress struggling to establish itself as a credible alternative at the national level.

KTR feels his confidence stems from a strong feeling that the BRS will make a strong come back in Telangana in the next elections, leaving no space for the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The ground situation reflects that and creates a new space for BRS at the national level too,” KTR told senior functionaries of his party recently.

The BRS working president feels that, for the first time, Mr. Modi appears politically vulnerable, with the Centre facing criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, other governance issues and its handling of emerging domestic and international challenges. Declining public acceptance of the Prime Minister, coupled with the Congress’s inability to capitalise on the situation under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, could create space for regional parties and other non-BJP, non-Congress forces, he argues.

The BRS leadership sees an opportunity in the growing political assertion of Gen Z and younger voters, who have been mobilising against the BJP on various issues. It argues that while the BJP may be able to exert pressure on political leaders, it could find it more difficult to contain youth-led movements. The emergence of such campaigns, in the BRS assessment, also reflects the absence of a convincing national alternative offered by the Congress.

The former Minister believes that the geopolitical situation, too, has raised questions about the Centre’s ability to influence international developments and project India’s interests effectively. The combination of domestic discontent, political uncertainty and the Congress’s organisational and electoral challenges could, he feels, make the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP formation relevant again.

The BRS leadership believes that regional parties and other forces outside the two principal national parties need to win around 150 Lok Sabha seats collectively to emerge as a decisive bloc in government formation after the 2029 general elections.

Such a tally could enable them to play a crucial role in determining who forms the government at the Centre, depending on the electoral outcome and the numbers secured by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress-led Opposition.

In such a political arrangement, KTR is confident that the BRS could emerge as one of the important players. He sees the position enjoyed by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the current Union government as an illustration of how a regional party leader can exercise considerable influence when the ruling coalition depends on the support of allies.

The BRS hopes to secure a similar bargaining position at the national level if the 2029 verdict produces a fragmented mandate. However, the possibility of such an arrangement would depend on the electoral performance of regional parties, their ability to overcome differences and their willingness to agree on a common programme and leadership.

KTR’s strong belief is that the regional parties are getting wary of the BJP — which he feels is destroying their very existence using its might. “Look at what happened to its long-time ally Shiv Sena and also Mamata Banerjee. Splitting regional parties and consolidating itself has become a norm,” is his reasoning.

KTR’s assessment also signals the BRS leadership’s continued belief in Mr. Chandrashekar Rao’s ability to make a political comeback in Telangana and subsequently play a role in national politics.

About four years ago, KCR advocated the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP front, arguing that the country needed an alternative political and economic agenda. The proposal did not translate into reality as the BRS suffered a defeat in Telangana Assembly elections in 2023, and subsequently drew a nought in the Parliament elections.

The BRS, however, now believes that the political conditions that initially prompted the initiative may be returning. KTR predicts KCR not only to return as Chief Minister of Telangana but also to play a significant role in shaping a national alternative ahead of the 2029 general elections. For the BRS, the immediate challenge, however, is to rebuild its political strength in Telangana.