HYDERABAD: Realising that the party cannot increase its vote share just by claiming itself as the only alternative to the State-ruling TRS, the saffron leadership in the State is preparing strategies to woo Congress supporters at a time when the latter has already lost considerable ground in TS. Though the grand old party could not secure many seats in the Assembly and Parliament elections, it was able to get 29 per cent of the total votes polled in Assembly elections. Whereas, BJP was able to get just 7 per cent votes in Assembly polls and 17 per cent in Parliament polls.
The central leadership, which observed the high voting percentage of Congress during polls, had asked its leaders in the State to concentrate more on the party’s conventional vote banks since they assessed that it was the only way they could come to power in the State. Since most of the minority votes had gone to TRS and Congress and just one per cent of it came to BJP during the Assembly and Parliament polls, the leaders feel that instead of wooing minorities it would be better if they tap the vote banks of Congress in large.
Senior leaders like party National general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, who was successful in bringing the party to power during his time as BJP’s Karnataka in-charge, has been entrusted the job of preparing strategies to attract Congress leaders and workers into the party. According to information, he told the State leaders that the mere projection of itself as an alternative to TRS will not help the saffron party fetch the support of the people and that the party leaders and its activists should work accordingly to make people feel that the BJP would be the best alternative to TRS and added that only then the party could win more seats in the State.
Muralidhar Rao reportedly asked the party’s State leaders to intensify poaching of prominent Congress leaders so that they can strengthen the party in the grassroots level. He stated that though Congress had become weak in the State, it still has a strong cadres base, hence, it would be difficult for BJP to emerge as a strong alternative force. Meanwhile, BJP State unit chief K Laxman has asked the party’s women wing to utilise the upcoming Batukhamma festival to attract people towards the party.