Bharat Rashtra Samithi

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (Template:Translation; Template:Small BRS), formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (Template:Small TRS), is an Indian political party predominantly active in the state of Telangana and currently the primary opposition party in the state. Founded on 27 April 2001 by K. Chandrashekar Rao, it has a single-point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> It has been instrumental in carrying forth a sustained agitation for the granting of statehood to Telangana.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The party won the majority of seats in the 2014 Telangana Assembly Election, forming the first government of the State with K. Chandrashekar Rao as its chief minister. The party won 11 seats in the 2014 general election, making it the eighth largest party in Lok Sabha, the lower house (lok sabha) of the Indian Parliament.

After a landslide victory in the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, the party formed the government in the State for the second time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2019 Indian general election, the party's tally had fallen to nine seats in the Lok Sabha.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Later on 5 October 2022, the name of the party was changed from Telangana Rashtra Samithi to Bharat Rashtra Samithi to foray into national politics.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> After suffering a decisive defeat in the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, the party was restricted to winning only 39 seats in the state of Telangana,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while failing to win any seats in the 2024 Indian general election. As of 2025, the party holds four seats in the upper house, Rajya Sabha.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ideology

File:Flag of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (India Nation Council).svg

Flag of Telangana Rashtra Samithi

On 27 April 2001, Rao resigned as Deputy Speaker of the Telugu Desam Party.<ref name="hindu.com">Template:Cite web</ref> He opined that Telangana people were being categorically discriminated against within the undivided State of Andhra Pradesh. Consequently, Rao argued that only the creation of a separate State of Telangana would allow for the alleviation of the people's predicament.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Accordingly, KCR founded the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Party at Jala Drushyam, Hyderabad, in April 2001, to achieve statehood for Telangana.<ref name="hindu.com" /> The party initially won one-third of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and one-quarter of Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) in Siddipet within 60 days of the formation of the party.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Politics

File:Telangana Rashtra Samithi logo.png

Logo in use under the party's original name

2004 elections

In the aftermath of 2004 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the party won 26 state assembly seats and five parliamentary seats. The TRS formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and joined the United Progressive Alliance. In September 2006, the party withdrew support for the central government on the grounds of indecision over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 13 September 2006, Rao triggered a by-election in his Lok Sabha constituency of Karimnagar, claiming provocation from Congress MLA M. Satyanarayana Rao and citing delay in the formation of Telangana state, as promised by Congress in its 2004 manifesto.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won the subsequent by-election with a strong majority.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All TRS MLAs and MPs resigned their positions in April 2008 when the Central government did not meet their demand for a separate state in its latest budget session.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The by-election was held on 29 May 2008. In the 2008 by-elections, TRS retained only seven out of the 16 assembly segments and two out of the four Lok Sabha segments that it resigned, a significant defeat for the party.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao offered to resign after the by-election losses, but instead remained in office after other party leaders rejected the resignation.<ref name=":4" />

File:Prof Jayashankar Statue in Telangana Bhavan.jpg

Prof Jayashankar Statue in Telangana Bhavan, TRS State Office

2009 elections

In the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the party contested as part of the Maha Kutami (Grand Alliance) alongside the Telugu Desam Party and the Left parties, to challenge the incumbent Congress government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> TRS contested 45 assembly seats but secured only 10, marking a sharp decline from its 2004 tally of 26 seats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The party’s performance was widely regarded as disappointing, with several candidates even losing their deposits, indicating limited electoral traction despite the growing sentiment for a separate Telangana state. TRS extended support to the National Democratic Alliance after polling but before counting.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2014 elections

In the 2014 Assembly and National Elections, TRS did not align with NDA or UPA and fought the elections on its own. TRS, which led the campaign for a separate State for more than a decade, emerged victorious by winning 11 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats and 63 of the 119 Assembly seats, and emerged as the party with the largest vote share in Telangana. The TRS' campaign had no other stars except KCR who addressed over 300 public meetings, heli-hopping around and often addressing more than 10 meetings in a single day. The TRS not only retained its north Telangana stronghold but also made inroads in south Telangana, a Congress bastion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

It was only after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, and the creation of separate Telangana state that the party begun to deliver electoral success. TRS won 63 out of 110 seats it contested in the 2014 Assembly elections in the newly formed state, and went on to form the government.<ref name=":0" /> K. Chandrashekar Rao, had taken oath as the first Chief Minister of the new state of Telangana on 2 June 2014.

2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election

The TRS Government headed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on 6 September 2018 dissolved the Legislative Assembly, the first after the formation of Telangana, to pave the way for early elections in the state.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The party announced a list of 104 candidates for elections on the same day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, held three months after the house dissolution, the TRS party won with a massive majority. They won 88 seats, more than 70% of the 119 total.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

2019 Indian general election

In May 2019, TRS Chief Rao flouted the idea of Federal Front, aiming for a non-Congress and non-BJP government at the centre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The party won nine out of the contested 17 seats, a reduction of two seats from the 2014 election.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

2022-present: Name change, electoral setbacks

Bharat Rashtra Samithi

The name of the party was changed from Telangana Rashtra Samithi to Bharat Rashtra Samithi on 5 October 2022 to foray into national politics ahead of the 2024 Indian general election.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> On 6 October 2022, officials from BRS submitted the relevant documents required for name change according to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to the Election Commission of India in New Delhi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of October 2022, the party activities are taking place from a rented building at Sardar Patel Marg in Delhi. On 14 November the party office was inaugurated at New Delhi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Andhra Pradesh unit

The party created its local unit in the residual Andhra Pradesh state on 2 January 2023. Dr. Thota Chandrasekhar, former general secretary of the Jana Sena Party, was named its president. Other leaders from Andhra Pradesh who joined the party on the on its state unit's formation include former minister Ravela Kishore Babu, former IRS official Partha Sarathi, and former Praja Rajyam Party leader T. J. Prakash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The state unit suffered a setback in April 2023 when the Election Commission of India derecognised the BRS as a state party in Andhra Pradesh. The party had been enjoying state party status in Undivided Andhra Pradesh since 2004, and then in the states of residual Andhra Pradesh and Telangana since 2014.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>

2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election

At the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, the party lost their majority, with their vote share falling by 10.52% to 37.35% and their seat count falling from 88 to 39. They retained their seats in the Greater Hyderabad region, but lost most of their seats in the rest of the state to Congress, who won 64 seats and formed the next government.

2024 Indian general election

The party suffered a further setback at the 2024 Indian General Election. Despite their previous national ambitions, the party only contested in Telangana. However, they were wiped out, losing all 9 of their seats in the state. The party's vote share was over cut in half from 41.71% to 16.68%.

Legislative leaders

List of chief ministers

Chief Minister of Telangana Template:Further

No.	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term in office			[[Telangana Legislative Assembly|Template:Black]]	Constituency	Ministry
			Assumed office	Left office	Time in office
1	File:Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.png	K. Chandrashekar Rao (Template:Abbr 1954)	2 June 2014	12 December 2018	Template:Ayd	1st	Gajwel	Rao I
			13 December 2018	6 December 2023		2nd		Rao II

Deputy Chief Ministers of Telangana

S.No.	Name	Portrait	Took office	Left office	Term	Chief Minister
1	M. Mahmood Ali	File:MohammadAliTelangana.png	2 June 2014<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	12 December 2018	Template:Age in years and days	K. Chandrashekar Rao
2	T. Rajaiah	File:Tati rajajaih.jpg	2 June 2014	25 January 2015<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Age in years and days
3	Kadiyam Srihari	File:Kadiyam Sreehari.jpg	25 January 2015<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	12 December 2018	Template:Age in years and days

List of Union Ministers

No.	Image	Minister	Portfolio	Term in Office			Constituency (House)	Prime Minister
				Assumed Office	Left Office	Time in Office
1	File:Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.png	K. Chandrashekhar Rao (1954–)	Minister of Shipping	23 May 2004	25 May 2004	2 days	Karimnagar (Lok Sabha)	Manmohan Singh (Manmohan I)
			Minister without Portfolio	25 May 2004	27 November 2004	Template:Ayd
			Minister of Labour and Employment	27 November 2004	24 August 2006	Template:Ayd
2	File:Aelay Narendra.jpg	Ale Narendra (1946–2014)	Minister of Rural Development (Minister of State)	23 May 2004	24 August 2006	Template:Ayd	Medak (Lok Sabha)

Leadership

List of presidents

S.No.	Portrait	Name	Term Template:Small	Duration	Ref.
						1	File:Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.png	K. Chandrashekar Rao	27 April 2001 – Incumbent	Template:Age in years, months and days

List of working presidents

S.No.	Portrait	Name	Term Template:Small	Duration	Ref.
						1	File:Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao.jpg	K. T. Rama Rao	15 December 2018 – Incumbent	Template:Age in years, months and days	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Electoral performance

Lok Sabha Election

Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Election Year	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | House term	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Party leader	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Seats contested	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Seats won	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Change in seats	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Popular vote	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Percentage of votes	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Vote swing	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Outcome	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Ref.
2004	14th	K. Chandrashekar Rao	12	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase5	2,441,405	0.63%	Template:Steady new	Template:Yes2	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009	15th		9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease3	2,582,326	0.62%	Template:Decrease 0.01%	Template:Partial	<ref name="eci.nic.in1">Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	16th		17	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase9	6,736,270	1.22%	Template:Increase 0.6%	Template:Partial	<ref name="eci.nic.in1" />
2019	17th		17	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease2	7,696,848	1.25%	Template:Increase 0.03%	Template:Partial	<ref name=":1" />
2024	18th		17	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease11	3,657,237	0.57%	Template:Decrease 0.68%	Template:No2	<ref name=":1" />

State Legislative Assembly elections

Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Election Year	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | House term	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Party leader	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Seats contested	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Seats won	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Change in seats	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Popular vote	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Percentage of votes	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Vote swing	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Outcome	Style="background-color:Template:Party color;color:white" | Ref.
United Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
2004	12th	K. Chandrashekar Rao	54	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 26	2,390,940	6.68%	Template:Steady new	Template:Yes2	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009	13th		45	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 16	1,678,906	3.99%	Template:Decrease 2.69%	Template:Partial	<ref name="eci.nic.in">Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	1st		119	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 53	6,620,326	13.68%		Template:Yes2 Template:Efn	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Telangana Legislative Assembly
2018	2nd	K. Chandrashekar Rao	119	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 25	9,700,479	46.9%		Template:Yes2	<ref name=":0" />
2023	3rd		119	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 49	8,753,924	37.35%	Template:Decrease 9.55%	Template:No2	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Jaya Jaya He Telangana
• All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
• Telangana Jagarana Sena
• List of political parties in India

External links

• Template:Official website