Sidelights of BJP national executive meet, Day 1

The Hyderabad city is awash with saffron flags and flex boards featuring the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda and Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar. On the route to the venue of Golkonda BJP National Executive Council, the cutout of BJP chief ministers are put up along the roadside. There are big banners and flex boards carrying Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s pictures too. At the venue, there is an exhibition hall showcasing the state BJP’s narrative, the role it played in the Telangana statehood movement along with images highlighting the culture and tradition of the state.

The TRS, which rules Telangana, has also not left any chance to flaunt its president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s clout in the city. The party’s pink flags have been squeezed into every corner of the city that compete with the BJP’s riot of saffron colour flags.

BJP-TRS banner battle flares up

The TRS has also placed huge banners welcoming Yashwant Sinha, the Opposition parties’ Presidential candidate, who arrived in Hyderabad Saturday as part of his campaign. This intensified the battle between the TRS and the BJP, with the former having already grabbed the spots along the medians for its banners before the saffron party could approach the local authorities for permission. The BJP leaders said the Hyderabad civic body has levied heavy penalties on the state party unit for placing the banners in different parts of the city. According to a BJP leader, the party has already paid Rs 55 lakh as penalties in this regard.