Telangana: After quitting BSP, Praveen Kumar joins BRS

Hyderabad: Days after quitting the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Dr RS Praveen Kumar joined the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) here on Monday, March 18.

The party’s working president KT Rama Rao, on X, welcomed Kumar to the party. “Welcome Dr. RSP Garu into BRS Jai Telangana..Jai Bhim,” he posted.

On March 16, soon after quitting BSP, Praveen Kumar met BRS supremo and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

Kumar, who was BSP’s Telangana president, announced on X that he was leaving the party with a message, “Please forgive me, I have no choice left.”

Thanking BSP chief Mayawati, Kumar said the leader will continue to be his hero and “keep the core principles on which this Mission for Social Justice founded by Manyavar Kanshiram in my mind throughout my life.”

The development after the BRS decided to leave two Lok Sabha seats in Telangana for BSP under the seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming general elections.

BJP pressured to break BSP-BRS alliance: Kumar

Later that day, while speaking to reporters, Praveen Kumar blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s mounting pressure to dissolve the BSP-BRS alliance as the reason behind his resignation.

“Despite pressure from the BJP to dissolve the BSP-BRS alliance and make a public announcement, I chose to resign from the party instead. I didn’t want to yield to the BJP’s pressure tactics. While I left the BSP, I remained committed to the alliance with BRS and its president, KCR. Breaking the alliance wouldn’t be ethical, so I decided to quit the BSP. This decision was made after consulting with KCR and other senior leaders. I’m grateful to KCR for the opportunity to collaborate with them,” he told reporters.

BSP, on March 5, announced its alliance with the BRS after meeting former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao at his residence.