Telangana BSP chief Praveen Kumar resigns, says BJP pressurised national leadership to break alliance with BRS

Whether he opts to establish a new party and maintain the alliance or he joins the BRS and contests from Nagarkurnool remains uncertain.

ByRaj Rayasam

Published Mar 16, 2024 | 11:00 PM ⚊UpdatedMar 17, 2024 | 8:01 AM

RS Praveen Kumar. (X)

BSP state president RS Praveen Kumar sprang a surprise on his followers and supporters by resigning from his party on Saturday, 16 March.

This decision came swiftly on the heels of sealing an electoral pact with the BRS, where his party secured commitments to contest the Nagarkurnool (SC) and Hyderabad Lok Sabha seats.

Praveen Kumar quits party

In a message on X earlier in the day, Praveen Kumar said that he was quitting the BSP under pressure and said that, at the same time, he “did not want to compromise on certain core principles and personal character”.

The former BSP leader said that his decision to quit was borne out of the fact that after allying with BRS, he was bound to abide by it, no matter what pressure he might come under.

He said that as soon as the news came out that the BSP would be contesting from two Lok Sabha seats in alliance with the BRS, the BJP exerted pressure on him through the BSP national leadership to end the alliance with the BRS. He said that he could not be cowed down by threats or conspiracies of the BJP and depart from his values, and hence, his decision to quit the BSP.

Dear fellow Bahujans,
I am unable to type this message, but I must do it anyway, as the time to take new path has arrived now.
Please forgive me for this post and I have no choice left.

With heavy heart I have decided to leave Bahujan Samaj Party😭.
I don’t want the image of…

— Dr.RS Praveen Kumar (@RSPraveenSwaero) March 16, 2024

Also Read: BSP to contest Hyderabad and Nagarkurnool seats in alliance with BRS

‘BJP put pressure on national leadership’

After posting the message on X, Praveen Kumar engaged in extensive discussions with BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao for quite some time. Later, he explained to the media that he was under pressure from his party’s national leadership to announce the end of his party’s alliance with the BRS.

The former BSP leader said that he had decided to move forward with KCR, which left a lot of room for speculations. Whether he opts to establish a new party and maintain the alliance or he joins the BRS and contests from Nagarkurnool remains uncertain.

However, the prospect of joining the BRS poses a dilemma as it could potentially dilute his identity as a leader of bahujans. Praveen Kumar’s credibility among the Dalits and other BCs could suffer, given his previous confrontations with KCR leading up to the recent Assembly elections.

Speculation intensified over the BJP’s motives in pressuring the BSP to sever ties with the BRS, considering the BSP’s limited influence in Telangana. Although the BSP’s prominence has increased due to Praveen Kumar’s efforts, the electoral battleground primarily features contests between the Congress and the BJP, with occasional battles against the BRS.

Despite Praveen Kumar’s assertion that BJP’s pressure was prompted by the BSP-BRS alliance, it’s highly unlikely that this coalition poses a significant threat to the BJP’s interests. Moreover, Praveen Kumar had obtained clearance from the BSP’s national leadership before engaging in talks with the BRS leadership regarding the alliance.

(Edited by Kamna Revanoor)