Saturday evening at Hyderabad’s Lamakaan carried an unusual air of anticipation. The open cultural space, usually alive with casual weekend chatter and the clinking of teacups, had taken on a quieter, expectant tone. At around 6.50 p.m., the crowd’s wait ended as BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao arrived to a ripple of applause for an evening conversation titled “Chai and Why of Indian Elections” with host, singer and actor Anuj Gurwara.
In a candid exchange, KTR reflected on the evolving nature of Indian politics, saying that the coming decades would belong to regional and secular alliances rather than large national parties. “The future of Indian politics will not be defined by larger national parties but by a new coalition of regional and secular forces, and BRS will have a role to play. For the next 15–20 years, I don’t see any single-party government in India. The next government will have to be a coalition of progressive forces,” he said.
Asked about his experience in opposition after a decade in power, KTR said it brought both relief and frustration. He refused to call the 2023 Assembly election loss a setback, noting, “We lost by just 1.8%. We still got 37% of the vote and 39 seats, one-third of the Assembly.”
