BRS Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Backing either CP Radhakrishnan or Justice B Sudershan Reddy risks damaging the party leadership's credibility

- Ireddy Srinivas Reddy @Hyderabad

The upcoming vice-presidential election has sparked keen interest in how the BRS will position itself, given its ideological opposition to both the Congress and BJP.

What decision BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao takes is being keenly awaited as the pink party weighs supporting either the NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan or INDIA bloc's nominee Justice B Sudershan Reddy.

The fact that Justice Sudershan Reddy is a Telangana native and son of a farmer, who is a familiar figure in the state, places the BRS in a delicate situation. The party must decide whether to back a local candidate or abstain from voting altogether. This dilemma is compounded by the BRS' past support for NDA-backed candidates, such as former president Ram Nath Kovind and vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu.

The BRS's history of supporting opposition candidates adds further complexity.

In 2022, KCR supported Yashwant Sinha's presidential candidature, proposed by national opposition parties, including the Congress. He welcomed Sinha to Hyderabad with a grand rally, signalling strong opposition to the NDA's candidate, current President Droupadi Murmu.