HYDERABAD: BJP, which has the ambition of coming to power in Telangana by the next general polls, appears to be gradually lagging behind its national rival, the Congress, and the ruling TRS, in wooing leaders belonging to other parties into its fold. Despite repeated statements made by the saffron party state leaders that a good number of strong politicos from other parties are ready to join them, party state unit is yet to induct a noteworthy politico.
According to sources, the saffron party leadership a few months ago made overtures to some of the TDP leaders including A Revanth Reddy, Vem Narender Reddy (ex-MLA) and S Bapu Rao (ex-MLA), who were with the yellow party at that time, besides trying to woo Congress leaders like Komatireddy brothers, P Sabitha Indra Reddy, D Sridhar Babu and DK Aruna to the BJP side. The BJP leadership reportedly contacted TRS Rajya Sabha member D Srinivas too, at that time.
But, so far, except D Srinivas’ son Arvind, nothing else has materialised. According to sources, several Congress leaders, whom the BJP state leadership had approached earlier to persuade them to join it too withdrew their plans to cross over to the saffron party. “The way TDP leaders led by Revanth Reddy preferred the Congress to BJP is a clear indication that our party is gradually regaining its strength in the state.”
“While TDP is on the verge of extinction, BJP is unable to transform itself into a political force in the state as it appears to be enjoying a close rapport with TRS. Hence, it would be an unwise decision to join the BJP from the Congress at this juncture,” a Congress leader, who earlier thought of crossing over to the BJP, said.
When asked about BJP’s failure to woo potential leaders from other parties into its side, party spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told Express, “Ours is an ideological party. We don’t accept opportunistic leaders from other parties, who can’t adopt our ideology. BJP never depends on political migrations to grow in any State. You take our highly performing States like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, there also we inducted just four to five persons from other parties into our party’s fold during polls.”
Congress vs BJP
According to sources, lack of individual freedom, no clear-cut assurance on the post to be given in the new party and remote chances of BJP turning into a considerable political force in the state have made some of the leaders from TDP and Congress drop their plans to join it
Revanth Reddy’s case is a clear example as according to sources, Revanth preferred Congress to BJP as he wanted individual freedom and cadres strength. After seeking his one-time pal in the TDP Nagam Janardhan Reddy being sidelined in the BJP, Revanth said a firm no to BJP