Telangana’s BRS Merges with BJP, KCR Calls It ‘Strategic Survival’

In a stunning political realignment, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), formally merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, ending months of speculation about the party’s fate after its 2023 Assembly poll rout. KCR, addressing a press conference, termed it a “strategic survival” move to “safeguard Telangana’s interests” within a national framework, while denying accusations of opportunism. The merger gives the BJP a stronger foothold in the state, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcoming the move as “a unification of like-minded forces.” Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy slammed the deal, calling it “a betrayal of Telangana’s pride” and vowing to expose the “secret pact” in the Assembly.