Regional parties assert independence, stress national interest

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

Javed Ali Khan, Member of Parliament (SP), Rajya Sabha; K.R. Suresh Reddy, former Speaker of united Andhra Pradesh and former BRS parliamentary leader; Santrupt Misra, Member of Parliament (BJD), Rajya Sabha in conversation with Nistula Hebbar, Political Editor, The Hindu. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Leaders of the regional parties have asserted that these parties continue to play a decisive role in shaping India’s political landscape and insist that their choices are rooted in national interest rather than opportunism.

On the second day of The Hindu Huddle 2026 on Saturday (June 6, 2026), Rajya Sabha members Javed Ali Khan (Samajwadi Party), Santrupt Misra (Biju Janata Dal) and former Speaker of united Andhra Pradesh and former BRS Parliamentary leader K.R. Suresh Reddy in conversation with Nistula Hebbar, Political Editor, The Hindu in one voice said there has been growing influence of regional parties.

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

He also defended Telangana’s statehood demand pointing out that what did not happen in 65 years has happened in the last 10 years. “From a drought‑stricken region, it is today the country’s most prosperous State. Our demand for a separate State was on grounds of water, funds, and jobs,” Mr. Reddy said crediting the BRS regime for the overall development.

First-time Rajya Sabha member Santrupt Misra echoed the sentiment of Mr. Reddy and Mr. Javed Ali stating that growing influence of the regional parties was evident in how the BJD had performed and secured 182 Lok Sabha seats between 1999 and 2024.

He went on to caution against dou