Hyderabad: In a surprising political development, Hyderabad Youth Courage (HYC) founder Salman Khan joined the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Thursday in the presence of the party’s working president K. T. Rama Rao at Telangana Bhavan. The formal induction took place at 10:30 a.m., marking a major shift in the political narrative just days after Khan’s nomination for the Jubilee Hills by-election was rejected by the Election Commission. His move to align with the BRS has triggered fresh debates about his political intent and the potential impact on the constituency’s upcoming polls.

Khan, who had recently accused the ruling Congress government of pressuring officials to reject his nomination, took to social media platform X to express his outrage, calling the rejection “unjustified” and “politically motivated.” In his affidavit, he declared modest assets worth just over ₹5.18 lakh, while his wife reported ₹1,618 in her bank account, ₹20,000 in cash, and three tolas of gold. These declarations have raised eyebrows, especially considering previous allegations against him involving financial mismanagement, misuse of charitable donations, and bribery.

Adding to the controversy, Khan was recently booked by Borabanda police for allegedly making provocative communal remarks on social media — a case that further intensified public scrutiny. His political opponents argue that his BRS entry is an attempt to regain lost credibility, while supporters view it as a tactical step to stay relevant in Telangana’s dynamic political scene. As Jubilee Hills gears up for the by-election, observers are closely watching whether Salman Khan’s induction into the BRS will alter voter sentiment or fade as another short-lived headline.