Why BRS workers want party to revert to old name

After being trounced in the recent state assembly polls, there is a growing demand from the Bharat Rashtra Samiti leaders and cadre to the high command to change its name to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

According to party sources, several party workers voiced their suggestion to BRS working president and son of the former chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, K T Rama Rao saying removal of Telangana from the name has ostensibly created a disconnect with the state.

Senior BRS leaders, including Rama Rao are currently holding a series of Lok Sabha constituency-wise preparatory meetings starting from January 3 eliciting suggestions from the cadres while brainstorming the reasons for the poll debacle.

"In every party meeting some leaders and cadres are asking the senior leadership to change the name to TRS. They feel that without Telangana, the party name appears to have caused a disconnect with people," a senior leader of BRS told PTI.

Another leader said though they are averse to the name change, they could not voice their mind as Rao, also known as KCR is known for taking tough decisions and emerging indomitable.

The name change to TRS is one of the top five reasons being attributed for the party's defeat in the assembly polls, the leader added.

In 2022, KCR renamed the TRS as BRS to expand the party's footprint beyond Telangana but the failure in the assembly election may derailed his plans and clarity would emerge in a few months.

The BRS (then TRS) was a formidable force even before the formation of Telangana in undivided Andhra Pradesh with its USP being the champion of Telangana's interests.

The KCR-led party secured only out of 175 assembly seats in the November 30 polls.