HYDERABAD: BJP leaders have gone into a shell following the Poachgate case involving Ramachandra Bharathi, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy, who are accused of trying to trigger defections of MLAs from the TRS into the saffron party. As the saying goes, once bitten twice shy. Therefore, top political leaders, particularly those from the BJP, are now quite circumspect in how they deal with leaders of other parties, in persuading them to change sides.
They have stopped speaking over telephone or chatting on WhatsApp or even agreeing to meet at the places they indicate fearing that they may be traps laid out. The BJP’s “Joinings Committee”, a euphemism for poaching leaders from other parties, has gone into silent mode. For the time being, saffron leaders have put on hold all efforts to solicit TRS and Congress leaders with whom they already had preliminary talks.
Party sources reveal that the leaders are in panic mode. “They are not ready to discuss anything related to admitting new leaders into the party, over phones or consenting to rendezvous fixed by those who are expressing an interest to join our party. The leadership has also told those who are in charge of luring the leaders from other parties to be more careful going forward and not land the party in trouble,” one source said.
A senior leader of the BJP said that the party would hold talks with those who are eager to quit the TRS after the Gujarat elections. A decision on Operation Akarsh would be taken on December 5 at Delhi, he said.
Party sources pointed out that a former MLA in GHMC limits is likely to join the BJP in December second week and a former MP of the ruling party is ready to cross the fence by the end of this month.