Ahead of local body elections, BRS gains ground in Telangana with ‘reverse migration’ from Congress, BJP

The political undercurrents in Telangana are shifting in ways that defy conventional wisdom. With local body elections around the corner, leaders and cadres from both the Congress and the BJP are deserting their parties in droves to join the opposition BRS, setting the tone for what is being described as reverse migration.

Traditionally, ruling parties attract local leaders during elections, as proximity to power ensures influence, patronage and access to resources. But this time, the tide has turned. Leaders and cadres across districts, from Adilabad to Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad to Nalgonda, are gravitating towards the BRS. Their logic is simple: there is an undercurrent of discontent among voters who are rallying behind the BRS.

“People’s mood is not with the incumbents, but with a resurgent BRS that has positioned itself as their voice amid growing dissatisfaction with the Congress and the BJP governance. They are also realising how things were far better under the BRS government, where they were never required to stage protests for basic needs,” said Narsimhulu, a Congress leader from Karimnagar who joined the BRS at Telangana Bhavan recently.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has been at the forefront of this wave, personally welcoming leaders from Hyderabad, Atchampet, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and several other



districts. He has made it a point to welcome each new entrant with the party’s pink scarf, infusing new energy into the cadre. The party has set itself a clear target of strengthening its base at the village level and sweeping the forthcoming elections to Sarpanch, MPTC and ZPTC posts.

In the past two months, a string of senior leaders from both the Congress and the BJP have switched over to the BRS. Former MLA Koneru Konappa returned to the BRS after a brief stint in Congress. In Gadwal, former municipal chairman Kesav, a follower of Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao, joined along with 10 councillors. The BRS also scored significant gains in Huzurabad, Jogulamba Gadwal, Achampet and Nizamabad, where former sarpanches, union leaders and even a BJP State Council member crossed over.

Each addition has been strategically planned to strengthen the BRS at the grassroots, particularly in villages where Sarpanch, MPTC and ZPTC polls will decide the party’s local clout. The party is methodically targeting two to three constituencies every week, ensuring constant visibility and momentum.

With local body elections inching closer and public momentum turning in its favour, the BRS is expecting more leaders to join the party over the next couple of months. The party is confident of being a frontrunner in the local body elections and in the bypolls.