Regional parties assert independence, stress national interest at Hindu Huddle 2026

Leaders of regional parties have maintained that these parties continue to play a decisive role in shaping India’s political landscape and have insisted that their choices are based on national interest rather than opportunism.

On the second day of The Hindu Huddle 2026 on Saturday, Rajya Sabha members Javed Ali Khan (Samajwad Party), Dr. Santrupt Misra (Biju Janata Dal) and former United Andhra Pradesh Speaker and former BRS Parliamentary leader KR Suresh Reddy, in a conversation with Nistula Hebbar, Political Editor of The Hindu, said in one voice that the influence of regional parties is increasing.

Mr. Reddy, a veteran politician with three decades of political experience as an MLA and MP, maintained that his party believes in neutrality and issue-based positions. “We are neither for UPA nor NDA. Our stand is based on national interest. BRS opposed the Kisan Bill but supported demonetisation. We opposed the Wakf Bill. The stance is not political or ideological but is fundamentally based on the larger interest of the country,” he stated.

He also defended Telangana’s demand for statehood, pointing out that what had not happened in 65 years had happened in the last 10 years. Stating that the BRS regime has contributed to overall development, Mr. Reddy said, “From a drought-stricken region, today it is the most prosperous state in the country. Our demand for a separate state was on the basis of water, funds and employment.”

Rajya Sabha member Dr. Echoing the sentiments of Mr. Suresh Reddy and Mr. Javed Ali for the first time, Santrupt Misra stated that the growing influence of regional parties is evident in how the BJD has performed and secured 182 Lok Sabha seats between 1999 and 2024 and 133 in 2024 alone.

He went on to caution against double standards in coalition politics pointing out that if a coalition aligns with a regional party to form a government, it is seen as pragmatic. “But if I, as a regional party close to people’s problems, choose to act in the national interest, I will be accused of being politically expedient,” he said.

Mr. Misra also cited Odisha’s transformation under Naveen Patnaik as evidence of issue-based leadership. “A state that went bankrupt in 2000 had a revenue surplus in 2024 because it served the interest of the people and not the BJD,” he said. A call was made to be careful regarding One Nation, One Election. “The first 5-5 elections were simultaneous. The question is whether democracy will be strengthened or weakened, whether local problems will be ignored, whether parliamentary terms will be shortened. Every national issue that affects the constitution and people’s lives should be discussed in detail,” he said.

Mr. Suresh Reddy supported One Nation, One Election (ONOE). “Continuous elections are not in the interest of the nation. Like Odisha, which votes one party in Parliament and the other in the State, we too rely on the voters,” he said confidently.

Mr. Javed Ali Khan of Samajwadi Party quipped that the Congress has now been reduced to a regional party despite being our ally. “We are a regional party in terms of the Electoral Commission, but a national party in terms of ideology,” he said.

Hindu Huddle is presented by Sami-Sabinsa Group as a Presenting Partner. The event is jointly conducted by the Government of Telangana and organized in association with Khaja Bandanawaz University.

The event was also attended by Bank of Baroda, Larsen & Toubro, Apollo Hospitals, IIM Sirmaur, ICFAI Group, TAFE, Wizzmon, Government of Uttarakhand, Associate Partners; Casagrand, Real Estate Partner; Luxury Vehicle Partner Toyota; Amity University Bengaluru, University Partner; Harrow International School Bengaluru, Education Partner; Meghalaya Tourism, State Partner; and NDTV 24×7, TV Partner.