MASSIVE: Kumaraswamy's JDS and KCR's BRS to ally for 2023 Karnataka polls, 2024 elections

With Parliamentary elections less than two years away, Republic has learnt that the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) will contest with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now known as the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Also, Kumaraswamy has said that the JDS and the BRS will be in alliance in Karnataka for Assembly elections, which are scheduled for 2023. This comes after KCR had even hosted former Karnataka Chief Minister, JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan.

What is the way ahead for BRS?

The JDS leaders along with the leaders of VCK were in Hyderabad, to attend the ceremony in which TRS was renamed BRS, following a resolution passed by the general body meeting of the party chaired by KCR himself.

In renaming TRS and repositioning it as a "national" party, KCR is also eyeing a pole position in opposition politics ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As the main opposition Congress party struggles to reverse its slide in the country’s electoral politics, major regional parties across the country are trying to forge a united front that can take on the ruling BJP. 

Given that the country’s politics changed after the 1980s with the emergence of regional forces, parties like SP, BSP, RJD, JD(U), DMK and others have been playing a national role either through alliance building or by forming pressure groups. KCR, who has long championed the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP opposition, would want to play a pivotal role in such an alliance.

In the recent past, KCR has met several regional party leaders including JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, TMC’s Mamata Banerjee, AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal and others, and has been rooting for a ‘non-BJP, non-Congress’ alliance. However, most of these parties have maintained that there cannot be any united opposition without the Congress as it may end up only helping BJP.

(With agency inputs)