HYDERABAD: As the byelection for the Munugode Assembly seat is fast closing in, the BJP has stepped up its efforts to engineer defections from other parties into its fold. It is planning to spirit away leaders from the ruling TRS and the Congress in phases. The saffron party has already identified the disgruntled elements in both parties and is in talks with them. They too seem to have come under saffron party influence and seem to be ready to hop, not only in Munugode but across the State, especially from south Telangana.
The BJP seems to have met with considerable success in spiriting away TRS’ former MP and BC leader Dr Boora Narsaiah Goud. In fact, Narsaiah Goud’s defection might come in handy for the BJP to wean away BC voters from the TRS influence to some extent in Munugode.
The BJP won three Lok Sabha seats in north Telangana in 2019 besides retaining Secunderabad but drew a blank in south Telangana. The first blow that the BJP delivered was on the Congress by enticing its MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy to join its ranks who now is its candidate for Munugode byelection.
The BJP took advantage of the deep dissatisfaction that Goud had harboured against the TRS leadership for ignoring him for the Munugode seat. Rubbing salt into injury, he was sidelined even in preparations for the byelection. The BJP, which was looking for exactly such an opportunity moved in for the kill and gobbled him up. After meeting BJP leaders at Delhi, Narsaiah Goud said that two more TRS MLAs were in touch with the BJP leadership to switch loyalty at the first bidding.
A senior Dalit leader who has not been active in Congress for the last few months, a BC leader, a former MP, and one former minister are also said to be in line to don saffron robes. BJP national leaders Sunil Bansal and Tarun Chugh reportedly spoke to the Congress leaders and assured them of a bright political future under the saffron party’s dispensation. The BJP leadership has directed these Congress leaders to make arrangements to change the party during Bharat Jodo Yatra so that it would dent the positive image that is building up in favour of the Congress.
One senior BJP leader said that the party had instructed the State leadership to encourage defections from the ruling party to break its morale ahead of the Munugode byelection. A former Minister from Mahabubnagar who is reported to be very unhappy with TRS leadership might take a leap of faith into the BJP camp sooner than later.