Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) stated on Tuesday that his party is not aligned with either the NDA or the INDIA alliance. At the same time, the BRS was not alone, and was very much in the midst of friends. During a day-long visit to Maharashtra, CM KCR told reporters, "We are not with either of them. We are not alone. We have our friends."
Talking to media persons at Kolhapur on Tuesday, Chandrashekhar Rao also targeted the I.N.D.I.A alliance for the first time, asking what was new about it. He remarked, "People have seen NDA and INDIA. What is new India? They ruled for 50 years, but nothing has changed. There is a need for a change," and suggested that media persons contribute to bringing about a change in the country.
KCR announced that BRS would establish committees at various levels in Maharashtra state and has already started working on this front. He mentioned that BRS has a substantial number of functionaries, totaling 14.10 lakh, in Maharashtra.
The chief minister also said though Maharashtra was blessed with abundant natural resources and no other State could compete with it, it was unfortunate that the city of Aurangabad was facing a severe water crisis. He also expressed serious concern over the continuous struggles of the Dalit community in Maharashtra, stating that the Dalit community was repeatedly being meted out injustice in Maharashtra. He drew a comparison with the United States, where the election of Barack Obama as President was seen as a step towards overcoming discrimination.
KCR visited the Mahalakshmi Mata Ambabai temple and attended a public meeting commemorating the 103rd birth anniversary of renowned poet and writer Annabhav Sathe. He passionately called for translating Sathe's literary works into national and foreign languages and demanded that the Indian government confer the prestigious Bharat Ratna award on the late poet. He praised Sathe's writings, literature, and his commitment to championing the cause of the downtrodden. He highlighted that Sathe's ideology aligned with communism and Ambedkarism, aiming for an egalitarian society throughout his life.
Observing that Annabhau Sathe’s works are universal, KCR said that Russia has already recognized Sathe’s services to literature, but India has not recognized it. He mentioned that successive governments at the Centre have failed to honor Sathe, who hailed from a Dalit family and was a respected figure from the Matang community.
During his visit to Maharashtra, KCR also paid his respects at the Chhatrapati Sahu Maharaj memorial in Kolhapur.