HYDERABAD Bhargav Deshpande, former president of the Telangana unit of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), has left the Congress and joined the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), adding a new development to the state’s political landscape.
Deshpande joined the regional party on October 25 in Hyderabad in the presence of BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao. Rama Rao welcomed him into the party by presenting him with the BRS’s distinctive pink scarf. Deshpande also criticised the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, citing dissatisfaction with the functioning of the Telangana Congress.
Deshpande Raises Concerns Over State Leadership
Explaining his departure, Deshpande alleged that the Telangana Congress leadership was not operating in line with the party’s national leadership. He argued that the organisation had changed considerably since Revanth Reddy joined the Congress in 2017.
According to Deshpande, long-standing party workers were being sidelined, while his concerns about the organisation’s image and grassroots functioning had not received an adequate response from senior leaders.
He said he had joined the Congress as a teenager in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. During his political career, he also served twice as president of the Adilabad District Congress Committee. His move to the BRS follows a period of reported dissatisfaction with the state party leadership.
BRS Looks to Expand Its Political Presence
Deshpande’s entry comes as political parties prepare for upcoming Graduate MLC elections and the 2028 Telangana Assembly elections. His political background and association with the Congress organisation could be relevant to the BRS’s efforts to strengthen its presence in Adilabad, where the BJP also has a substantial political base.
BRS leaders have indicated that additional Congress functionaries could join the party at a farmers’ rally scheduled to take place in Adilabad on November 1. However, the extent of any further movement from the Congress to the BRS remains to be seen.
Previous Departures Add to Congress Leadership Challenges
Deshpande’s exit follows other departures involving leaders dissatisfied with the Telangana Congress leadership. Former Congress leader T. Jeevan Reddy also joined the BRS in April 2026 after expressing concerns about the state leadership.
Such developments have brought attention to internal organisational challenges facing the Congress in Telangana. For the BRS, attracting leaders from other parties may offer opportunities to broaden its political network. The eventual impact will depend on whether additional leaders follow and how the parties perform in forthcoming electoral contests.
Deshpande’s decision marks a change in his political affiliation, but its wider consequences for Telangana politics will become clearer as election preparations progress.