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Journalism of Courage
The BJP is going all out in Telangana, with the party rolling out a slew of programmes to make its presence felt ahead of the elections next year – from the scheduled national executive meeting to be held in Hyderabad on July 2-3 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah taking time off to be seen at events associated with the state.
So upbeat is the Telangana unit of the party that state leaders say they are prepared for polls even if the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) decides to advance it like they had done in the previous term.
On Tuesday, Modi met 46 corporators of the BJP’s Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in New Delhi, after which the Prime Minister tweeted that the BJP would work towards “ending dynastic misrule in Telangana”.
While no official statement was issued about the meeting, the PM had, during his recent visit to Hyderabad, promised the corporators he would meet them in Delhi. He also told them that he felt “change was in the air”.
The leadership’s backing was also evident in Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s presence as chief guest at the Telangana Formation Day celebrations in New Delhi on June 2.
But the biggest show of strength for the BJP is the national executive meeting that the party will hold in Hyderabad on July 2 and 3, for which all senior leaders, including Modi, party president J P Nadda and Shah will be in the city. A meeting of all Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states and office-bearers will also be held during the two-day meet that will be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. The last time the BJP held its national executive meeting in Hyderabad was in 2004.
BJP national executive member N Ramachander Rao told The Indian Express, “The PM’s meeting with the corporators and the fact that Hyderabad is hosting the national executive meeting show the importance that the party has attached to the Telangana BJP unit and its elected members. It’s no small matter that none other than the PM is rooting for them.”
Rao added that the national executive meeting will show that the BJP is ready for elections in the state.
Party sources say the decision to hold the meeting in Hyderabad is significant as the ruling TRS and the Centre have been caught in a war of words. While Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has been accusing the Centre of discriminating against the state, the BJP leadership has been targeting him over dynastic rule and alleged corruption.
Besides discussing the party’s roadmap for the Assembly elections and the 2024 general elections, the BJP’s national executive meeting will also review its strategy for ‘Mission Telangana’.
The BJP has also been careful in its choice of its National OBC Morcha president, K Laxman, who is a former state BJP president and two-time MLA, as the party’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh. Laxman’s nomination from UP — because the party does not have enough numbers in Telangana – has been made with an eye on the Backward Classes votes in the state.
The party is keeping up the heat with national general secretary and BJP state in-charge Tarun Chugh and national general secretary B L Santhosh camping in Telangana to oversee the preparations for the Assembly polls.
In the December 2018 elections, the BJP won only one seat in Telangana but subsequently, the party won two more seats in bypolls that it wrested from the TRS.
BJP state unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar claimed that there is a lot of anger and discontent among people against the TRS government. “The TRS has not fulfilled many of its promises like government jobs, drinking water supply, or rural development. It is time for change and BJP is ready for it,” he said.
