Hyderabad: The first public meeting of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will be held in Khammam on Wednesday (January 18) where Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to unveil the party's national agenda. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI General Secretary D Raja and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav would attend the BRS meeting today. 


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The meeting assumes political significance as it is the first public meeting after the TRS decided to go national by renaming itself as BRS and also because leaders of different opposition parties -- BRS, Aam Admi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party and the Left -- would be seen together. With today’s rally, KCR may be looking at strengthening the party in Khammam district but also using the platform to address people in Andhra Pradesh.


BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the visiting leaders would go to the Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri near Hyderabad which has been renovated on a grand scale by the Rao government, before proceeding to Khammam.


At Khammam, about 200 km from Hyderabad, they would attend the launch of the second phase of 'Kanti Velugu', the Telangana government's eye screening programme.


Speaking after hoisting the pink colour flag of BRS after the Election Commission approved the name change of TRS as BRS in December, 2022, Rao, also known as KCR, exuded confidence that the "pink flag would fly high on the Red Fort one day."


Addressing his party leaders then, he gave the slogan of 'Ab ki baar kisan sarkar' (farmers' government this time) and said new economic, environment, water, electricity and women empowerment policies are needed in the country.


BRS was formally launched last month by Chandrasekhar Rao with the slogan of 'ab ki baar kisan sarkar'. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, is likely to declare at the Khammam meeting what BRS plans to do for the development of agriculture and welfare of farmers.


KCR, who has already promised that if voted to power at the Centre BRS would supply free electricity to farmers across the country, is expected to promise more measures to woo the farming community.


BRS announced its entry into Andhra Pradesh on January 2 with former minister Ravela Kishore Babu, former IAS officer Thota Chandrasekhar and former IRS officer Chintala Partha Sarathi joining the party. KCR appointed Chandrasekhar as the BRS state president for Andhra Pradesh.