HYDERABAD: The Centre’s focus on Telangana was on display yet again on Wednesday, with BJP’s central leadership elevating MP K Laxman as a member of the party’s parliamentary board, the highest policy-making body of the party, and also as a member in the party’s central election committee.
Even BJP State leaders were taken by surprise at Dr Laxman’s elevation in quick succession — he was made the national president of BJP’s OBC Morcha, then nominated to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh, and now a member of the highest decision-making bodies in the party.
While the major policy decisions are taken in the parliamentary board, approval of candidates proposed by the State units and formulating campaign strategies and appointing in-charges during elections is done by the central election committee.BJP’s Madhya Pradesh in-charge P Muralidhar Rao was the first to hold membership in the two bodies from Telangana in the past.
“This is proof of how the BJP central leadership has recognised an ordinary ‘karyakarta’ from RSS like me to the most responsible positions. I will use my position to ensure that BJP comes to power in Telangana in the next Assembly elections,” said Dr Laxman.
With Laxman and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa being included in the BJP’s top two bodies, it is clear that the party central leadership is concentrating on southern states. Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP MLA from Coimbatore South in Tamil Nadu, who is also the national president of the party’s Mahila Morcha has been included in the central election committee of the BJP as an ex-officio member. This is another indication of the central leadership’s focus on establishing its feet firmly in the south.