HYDERABAD: With elections fast approaching, the ruling BRS and main Opposition Congress are witnessing a flurry of activity while things in the BJP are moving much more sedately. By all accounts, both the BRS and Congress are finalising the list of candidates while the State unit of the BJP appears to be lagging, causing concern among party leaders and cadre.
BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao are reportedly getting ready to release the list of candidates in the coming week while the Congress is set to convene a screening committee that will deliberate on the probables. The tentative list will be then sent to the AICC for clearance.
Comparatively, the BJP State unit seems to be lacking the same momentum in compiling the list of candidates. This is creating unrest among BJP leaders who are eyeing various constituencies to contest from. They are reportedly urging the party to announce a comprehensive list soon but to little avail.
The growing frustration in the BJP is said to be the reason for the departure of senior leader and former minister A Chandrasekhar, who recently resigned from the party and announced his intention to join the Congress. Having represented the Vikarabad constituency multiple times, he is reportedly aiming to contest from his native Assembly segment, Zaheerabad, on a Congress ticket.
The Chandrasekhar episode could foreshadow similar moves within the BJP, as three more former MLAs hailing from Mahabubagar and Nizamabad, along with a former MP from South Telangana are said to have engaged in discussions with TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy. If they do shift to Congress, they could trigger a series of defections that could impact the morale of the saffron party cadre and second-rung leaders.
Realising the gravity of the situation, BJP senior leaders are calling for immediate action, suggesting that the party release a preliminary list of 25 candidates. This would include sitting MLAs and former MLAs who are actively preparing to contest the forthcoming elections. The absence of such a list, they caution, may prompt more leaders to leave the party.
The onus now rests on G Kishan Reddy, the BJP State president. Even as pressure mounts on him to manage the situation, the party seniors are also looking at the high command, hoping for a response that would instil confidence among the cadre.