A key national-level meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was held in Hyderabad, on Sunday, July 9, to discuss the organisational matters in the run up to coming Assembly elections in some states. Presided over by BJP's national president JP Nadda, the meeting was attended by state presidents from 11 states. Party's organisational secretaries and in-charges from 11 states were also present at the meeting.
BJP's newly appointed state presidents in Telugu states were among those participating in the meeting. Paryt's general secretary BL Santhosh, national vice president DK Aruna and other senior leaders were also attending the key meeting.
Earlier, Union minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy, who was last week named as the BJP president for Telangana, received JP Nadda at Begumpet Airport. Former state BJP president Bandi Sanjay, MP K Laxman, MLA Eatala Rajender and other leaders were also present. Former Union minister D Purandeswari, who was appointed BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit president last week, was also attending the meeting.
Nadda is likely to give directions to the party presidents of 11 states in view of the coming Assembly elections and the next year's Lok Sabha polls. The meeting is reportedly discussing the changes to be made to tone up the organisation ahead of the polls.
The choice of Hyderabad as the venue for the meeting is seen as an attempt by the BJP to dispel the growing notion that the party is going soft on Telangana's ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The saffron party also wants to send a signal that only it can oust KCR-led party from power. Sunday's meeting came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Telangana. Addressing a public meeting at Warangal, he had launched a bitter attack on KCR government over rampant corruption and family rule.
This is BJP's second big national-level meeting in Hyderabad after the national executive meeting, which was held in July last year. The meeting is expected to give a major boost to the party cadre at the ground level in Telangana. Their morale took a beating after the party's defeat in recent Assembly elections in Karnataka.