KCR starts BRS activities in Delhi with 2-day Vedic yajna
Telangana's Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao marked the official launch of his national party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) with Raja Shyamala Yagam, a two-day Vedic ritual to seek blessings for attaining power, in Delhi on Tuesday at 9 am. He reached Delhi with his wife Shobha, senior party leaders, a group of priests, and an entourage of 800 party workers.
Why does this story matter?
In October, KCR renamed his state party Telangana Rashtra Samithi to BRS and declared it a national party, with eyes set on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission of India (ECI) okayed the name change on Thursday. He is eyeing a key role in national politics with the third front in mind.
KCR to inaugurate party headquarters
A pandal is installed for the yajna on the premises of the under-construction party headquarters at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Marg. This is the first time KCR has visited Delhi since announcing the launch of BRS in Hyderabad. After the completion of the ritual, he will inaugurate the party's national headquarters between 12:37 pm and 12:47 pm, and will unfurl the party's new flag.
Hoardings proclaiming KCR as 'Desh Ki Netha'
Priests from Chikmaglur's Sringeri Peetham
The yajna started with Ganapati Homam and Nava Chandi Homam, worshiping Lord Ganesh and the nine forms of Goddess Durga respectively. The Nava Chandi Homam will continue till Wednesday followed by the Raja Shyamala Yagam. As many as 12 Ritwiks (priests drafted for performing yajna) participated in the ritual headed by Gopi Krishna Sharma and Phani Shashanka Sharma from Sringeri Peetham in Karnataka.
KCR to meet Dalit, OBC, farmer outfits
Top leaders from various "like-minded" political parties countrywide, and representatives of several farmers' organizations have been invited to the event, said Telangana state legislative affairs minister Vemula Prashant Reddy. KCR could stay in the national capital for a week during which he will identify party representatives in other states, and discuss BRS's strategy with the organizations of farmers, Dalits, and Other Backward Classes (OBC).