Behind the News is your round-up of musings from the corridors of power. Read what goes on behind the scenes for news & newsmakers.
Published Aug 07, 2025 | 7:24 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 07, 2025 | 7:24 PM
KCR with the four MLAs said to have been approached by the BJP. (File pic/Supplied)
Synopsis: Balaraju is clearly at a political crossroads—and the signboards aren’t exactly clear. He recently dropped hints about a shift to a national party.
Remember Guvvala Balaraju? He was one of the four BRS MLAs who allegedly found themselves at the centre of a political potboiler—complete with cloak-and-dagger drama—when the BJP was accused of trying to extract them into its nest with promises and persuasion.
It all happened just before the high-stakes Munugode by-election on 26 October 2022. Back then, Telangana police claimed to have caught BJP “emissaries” red-handed, allegedly trying to “poach” the BRS legislators. Under the watchful eyes of then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, arrests were made, and there was even an attempt to rope in the BJP’s national organising secretary BL Santosh.
But eventually, nothing stuck—and the headlines fizzled out. It’s all water under the bridge now.
Fast forward to today, Balaraju—the same MLA once fiercely shielded from the BJP’s so-called charm offensive—has now bid adieu to the BRS. Though he hasn’t formally revealed where he’s headed, the grapevine is buzzing. Many say he might soon sport saffron, making an early entry into the BJP—well ahead of the oft-rumoured, oft-denied “BRS merger” with the BJP. Of course, BRS leaders continue to swat away that rumour like a particularly persistent housefly.
For the BRS, it’s turning out to be a textbook case of “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In this tale of two cities—Hyderabad and Secunderabad—it’s the best of times because public disappointment with Congress is on the rise. Yet, it’s also the worst of times, with internal squabbles and inquiry commission reports giving the party sleepless nights.
As for Balaraju, he’s clearly at a political crossroads—and the signboards aren’t exactly clear. He recently dropped hints about a shift to a national party. That leaves only two options on the table: BJP or Congress. Given that he runs an infrastructure company (GBR Infrastructure), some say a move to the BJP might be in line with his “business sense.” But then again, his remarks on minorities—“Aren’t they Indian citizens too?”—suggest he may be leaning Congress-ward.
In short, Balaraju’s next move remains anyone’s guess. All we can do is sit back and watch how the political soap opera unfolds.
