The much-awaited Vice Presidential election is happening today on September 9, where Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan represents the NDA and former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy represents the INDIA bloc. In what turned out to be a continuation of a dramatic afternoon, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) did not vote, which caused a political row and a strong reaction from Congress.
BRS Explains Abstention: Farmers’ Urea Crisis in Telangana
The abstention was prompted by the prevailing fertilizer shortage in Telangana, as per BRS leader KR Suresh Reddy. There has been a shortage of urea among farmers in the state for the last month despite repeated requests to the Centre and the Congress government in Telangana, he stated.
“For the past month, Telangana farmers were gripped by a fertilizer crisis, particularly urea. BRS leaders approached the central and state governments multiple times with a plea to put an end to the crisis, but it did not work,” Reddy explained.
He went on to add that the Telangana BJP leadership had boasted publicly that they didn’t need BRS’s vote in the Vice President election, while the Congress government was “harassing BRS workers.
Hopeless Governance this 👇#CongressFailedTelangana pic.twitter.com/S8z3GgbHO0
— KTR (@KTRBRS) August 21, 2025
“Whatever we did, it would not have changed the course of the election. But with this move, we intend to raise the Telangana farmers’ crisis to the nation’s notice,” Reddy said.
Congress Strikes Back: “BRS Betrayed the Telugu Man”
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury attacked the BRS for boycotting, charging the party with betraying the Telugu people by not supporting Justice Sudershan Reddy, the Opposition candidate.
“A South Indian man, who worked for Telangana throughout his life and took key decisions as a Supreme Court judge , is it not embarrassing that BRS wouldn’t vote for a Telugu man?” Chowdhury questioned.
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She alleged that BRS was speaking one way in Telangana while acting otherwise in Delhi, indirectly siding with the BJP in crucial votes. “Whether BRS votes for them or not, it won’t make a difference, because BRS and BJP are linked with each other,” she added.
Fertilizer Politics: Urea Shortage Deepens Row
The abstention comes amid a major political flashpoint over urea supply in Telangana.
The Union Agriculture Ministry had allocated 9.8 lakh tonnes of urea for the kharif season, of which 8.3 lakh tonnes were to be supplied by August.
Only 5.32 lakh tonnes had reached Telangana by August 17, and there was a shortage of 2.98 lakh tonnes, noted Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The farmers are now compelled to wait for hours in fertilizer stores in the hope of getting subsidized urea priced at ₹266 for a 45 kg bag (costing the Centre more than ₹2,000 with subsidy).
While the Congress government is blaming the BJP-led Centre for not providing Telangana’s rightful share, the BJP accuses Congress of causing “artificial scarcity” to facilitate black-market sales. The BRS, however, has blamed both the Centre and the state.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao had also made a statement previously that his party would back either the NDA or the INDIA bloc nominee if they guaranteed 2 lakh metric tonnes of urea to Telangana farmers.
Political Symbolism or Betrayal?
With figures in the NDA’s favor, the abstention by the BRS wouldn’t have changed the result of the Vice Presidential election. Politically, however, it has created controversy regarding whether the party’s action was a stand on principle for farmers or a betrayal of Telugu pride, as Congress has claimed.
While the farmers of Telangana remain short of urea, the Vice Presidential election has taken on more than a game of numbers it has become an arena of political messaging, where the BRS toes the fine line between Telangana’s agrarian crisis and national power politics.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
