HYDERABAD: BJP’s resounding victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections has come as a shot in the arm for the saffron party leaders in Telangana who were demoralised after the rout the party had suffered in the Munugode bypoll. The BJP leaders are now sharpening their knives to pounce on the BRS, hitherto known as the TRS, even as the pink party prepares for the national stage.
After the Gujarat election results, BJP in-charge for Telangana Tarun Chugh said: “Today it’s Gujarat, tomorrow Telangana”, implying that there would be more focus on winning in Telangana. BJP leaders who discussed the political situation in the State in the wake of Gujarat results feel that they could win the election as Modi’s mojo would help the party storm to power in Telangana.
They said that continuing the momentum of the campaign against KCR was imperative as any slackness would give the BRS the upper hand. They have decided to focus on the second-rung leaders in both the BRS and Congress and woo them to join the BJP. As the results kept trickling in, BRS leaders too went into a huddle to analyse the saffron party sweep the election.
They veered to the conclusion that the BJP was not carrying any anti-incumbency baggage on its shoulders and that Modi’s charm was still working. In Telangana, the BRS is fighting pitched battles with the BJP. The party has been bearing down on the BJP in Telangana and is targeting the central government on various counts including attempts to cripple the State financially and keeping on hold the promises made in the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014. In its war with the BJP, the BRS sought to embarrass the former by arresting three persons suspected to be mediators of the BJP while they were trying to poach four TRS MLAs.
Meanwhile, CBI sent a notice under Section 160 of CRPC to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha and its officials are meeting her on December 11 to learn what she knows about the infamous Delhi liquor scam. That this should happen at a time when both BJP and BRS at lo g g e rheads i s rai s ing eyebrows. BRS leaders are worried over the winning prospects of 20 to 25 MLAs, including the 12 legislators who joined the party from the Congress.
They do not rule out the possibility of the BJP trying to reach out to them to pit them against the official candidates. BRS leaders say that their party would have to focus more on SC/ST segments. In Gujarat, the BJP fared well in these segments and the BRS wants to prevent a repeat in Telangana. BRS leaders also recalled how the BJP, using gimmicks, came to power in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra and therefore their party had to be wary of its moves. As the BJP might not be able to muster enough support to capture power in the State, it might choose the “Shinde route” to come to power, a BRS leader said.