BRS to Stay Away From Vice President Poll

BRS has announced that it will not take part in the Vice President election scheduled for September 9. The party maintains that it is equidistant from both the BJP and the Congress. KCR, its chief, decided to stay away from the election, which the NDA is set to win comfortably with its clear majority in Parliament.

The party, often called the pink party, holds four seats in the Rajya Sabha. Its votes would not have changed the outcome for the NDA. However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh still reached out to KCR for support. The NDA has fielded CP Radhakrishnan, while the INDIA bloc has nominated Telugu Justice Sudershan Reddy. Telangana CM had appealed to Telugu leaders to rise above party lines and support Sudershan Reddy.

BRS felt that voting for either NDA or INDIA bloc would mean upsetting the other. In earlier instances, when in power, KCR extended support to the INDIA bloc. But with shifting political equations and internal issues in the party, BRS decided to adopt a neutral stance this time.

Meanwhile, rumours have been circulating about a possible alliance between BRS and the BJP. Though TBJP leaders strongly deny these claims, KCR seems keen on avoiding risks in the current political climate.