With the election year kicking off in Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s state unit hopes to project Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its face in Telangana, setting the stage for a Modi vs KCR political battle. In line with this effort, the BJP state unit says Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central leadership would be visiting the state more often.
The Telangana unit of the BJP has already begun the preparations to receive the PM on his scheduled visit to Hyderabad on January 19. During the visit, Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat Express and inaugurate the modernisation works of the Secunderabad railway station. Upbeat about the PM’s presence in the state, the BJP maintains that he will be visiting Telangana more often this year, in line with the party’s ‘Mission South’ focus.
“In 2022, PM Modi visited Telangana four times. This year, we will see him visit the state more often. Besides Karnataka, Telangana is the most important state for the BJP in the south,” Kishore Poreddy, spokesperson of the state BJP unit, told TNM.
According to sources, it is likely that another Member of Parliament (MP) from the BJP would soon be accommodated in the Union Cabinet. While there are speculations about who will be elevated, Rajya Sabha member Dr K Laxman and Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao are most likely to make the cut. Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind also stands a chance. BJP has a total of five MPs in Telangana, of whom Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay is already the Telangana BJP chief and G Kishan Reddy is presently serving as the Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development.
Soyam Bapu Rao, who hails from the Gond (Adivasi) community, is a well-known figure who has fought for the rights of the community. The teacher-turned-politician, however, has been in the news lately for his provocative Muslim bashing. The MP, who came from a Leftist background, had taken people by surprise with his sudden shift in stance towards the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological progenitor of the BJP.
Dr K Laxman, who is the other leader being considered for elevation, was recently nominated as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh. BJP insiders believe that elevating Laxman would convey that the high command was giving importance not only to Uttar Pradesh, but also Telangana. Laxman is also the president of the BJP’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) Morcha, as well as a member of the party’s Parliamentary Committee and Election Committee.
“The BJP has been elevating leaders to leadership positions. It is the party’s culture to identify and acknowledge the efforts put in by the leadership over the years. Lack of imagination makes people feel that only one or two will be accommodated. The BJP has never seen it as a zero-sum game. It is, in fact, wholesome. All those deserving will be accommodated by the central leadership,” said Kishore Poreddy.
While rumours have been rife that Bandi Sanjay would be elevated to make way for former minister and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender as the state unit chief, this has been categorically ruled out by both Kishan Reddy and BJP general secretary in-charge of Telangana affairs Tarun Chugh.
When asked whether the rumours and speculations about a change of guard in Telangana were a result of the infights within the party, BJP spokesperson NV Subash dismissed the same. “Differences of opinion are normal. Whenever there is a difference, our leaders sit together and talk to sort it out democratically unlike other parties,” he said.
The Telangana BJP has already begun preparations for the Assembly elections in the state, which are likely to be held in December this year. The party has already named leaders as in-charges for every Assembly constituency, and the groundwork has already begun. “There are mainly five in-charges in every Assembly constituency. Phalaks are the senior most leaders, who have been asked to spend three nights in their allotted constituency every month. Then comes Prabharis, who are expected to spend 10 nights every month in the constituencies. Vistaraks are to be in the constituency for nearly 20 days every month. Full-timers have also been named. They are to be on ground throughout to coordinate and organise the BJP’s activities in the constituency. Each Assembly also has convenors who will be overseeing the works at the constituency,” explained NV Subash. He added that with this being the election year, besides PM Modi, various leaders from the union government would be visiting the state.