“BJP’s Team B”: Team Uddhav Thackeray’s Dig At KCR’s Party

Mumbai:

‘Saamna’, the official newspaper of the Uddhav Thackeray faction took a dig at the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in its editorial calling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) the ‘B’ team of BJP.

Telangana CM is on a two-day trip to Maharashtra from Tuesday.

“KCR is making an emotional appeal to the farmers of Maharashtra, seeking votes in the name of farmers. But the overall picture is that his party will pave the way for BJP to divide votes. BJP’s politics has always been like this. In Maharashtra, BJP has already kept many horses and mules as the ‘B’ team. Another party from Telangana has joined it,” it said.

“KCR has decided to enter national politics by establishing a party called the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. However, there was no need for this. He had a regional party and it was doing well, but the worm of national politics had entered Rao’s mind,” it added.

The mouthpiece of the Uddhav Thackeray faction said that although Rao has contributed a lot to the establishment of Telangana and has successfully implemented various schemes to improve the standard of living of the farmers, even then it’s not sure whether he’ll remain in power in 2024 or not.

“In the establishment of the state of Telangana, K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s struggle is big. It is equally true that if Rao had not fought, the Telangana state would not have been formed. Rao became the Chief Minister of Telangana twice. Although he has successfully implemented many such schemes to improve the standard of living of the farmers there but still no one can guarantee whether KCR’s party will remain in power in 2024,” it stated.

Noting the defeat of KCR’s daughter Kavita in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the editorial stated that only after K Kavitha’s alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor scam case came to light, KCR said that the central investigation agencies are doing politics of pressure.

“KCR’s daughter Kavita lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and she was called for questioning by the ‘ED’ in the liquor scam case in Delhi. Kavitha acted as a mediator between the AAP Government in Delhi and some liquor contractors in Telangana, and for this, the central investigative agencies started probing her. After this KCR said that the Central Investigation Agency is doing politics of pressure, but we will not bow down to them, we will keep fighting,” it said.

“However, the political steps that KCR is taking now indicate that it will indirectly benefit the BJP,” it added.

Pointing out the relationship between All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and BJP, the mouthpiece said that earlier BJP used Owaisi for dividing votes but now after understanding Owaisi’s ploy, it is clear that Muslims and Dalits will not go with him. So is BJP trying to field KCR instead of Owaisi?

“Since 2019 the AIMIM’s Owaisi is being used by the BJP for the purpose of dividing votes. Owaisi moved to Maharashtra and other states to divide votes. They did their job well, but after understanding Owaisi’s ploy, it is clear that Muslims and Dalits will not fall for him. So is that why BJP has now fielded KCR instead of Owaisi? Are KCR and his party acting as the ‘B’ team of the BJP?” it said.

Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit to Maharashtra would have no impact on the state politics.

“There will be no impact of Telangana Chief Minister KCR on Maharashtra politics. If KCR will do drama like this, he will lose Telangana also,” Sanjay Raut said.

Sanjay Raut said that KCR came to Maharashtra fearing loss in Telangana where, he said, the fight is between KCR and Congress.

“Fearing loss, he came to Maharashtra but his 12 to 13 leaders who are former or sitting ministers and MPs joined the Congress yesterday. This is a fight between KCR and Congress. MVA is strong in Maharashtra,” Sanjay Raut said.

Earlier Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar said that though Telangana Chief Minister KCR trying to expand his base in Maharashtra he would not succeed to gain inroads in the state.

While speaking to reporters in Pune on June 20, Ajit Pawar said former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav had tried a similar move but did not succeed.

“When Mulayam Singh and Mayavati were the Chief Minsiter of UP, they tried to do the same thing but he too did not receive much success… maybe K Chandrashekhar Rao wants to become a leader at the national level and that is why he is trying,” Ajit Pawar had said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)