The Bharat Rashtra Samithi, led by K Chandrashekar Rao, faces a severe financial crisis as donations plummeted dramatically. The party received only Rs 15 crore in donations for the 2024-2025 fiscal, a sharp decline from Rs 580.52 crore in the previous fiscal year. This comes amid electoral setbacks and the recent departure of MLC K Kavitha, who accused the leadership of secret merger discussions with the BJP. Party leaders attribute the funding collapse to donor fears of repercussions under the Congress government in Telangana. The financial troubles coincide with a leadership void as K Chandrashekar Rao has reduced his public engagements, leaving uncertainty about how the next tier of leaders will navigate these challenges. With the crucial Jubilee Hills bypoll approaching, the BRS now relies on accumulated past funds while grappling with both monetary constraints and internal instability.
Funding Crisis and Political Implications
According to audited accounts submitted to the Election Commission on October 10, the BRS received donations worth merely Rs 15.09 crore in the 2024-2025 fiscal. Progressive Electoral Trust contributed Rs 10 crore, while Prudent Electoral Trust donated Rs 5 crore. Individual contributions included Rs 9.79 lakh from S Rajender Reddy and Rs 29,115 from Mohd Azhar. This represents a staggering drop from Rs 580.52 crore the previous year, which included Rs 85 crore through trust funds and Rs 495.52 crore via the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme. Party insiders admit that donors fear contributing to BRS under Congress rule might harm their business interests. Meanwhile, Congress officials reject these claims as baseless excuses for electoral decline.
Source: Link