HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in Bhopal on Tuesday, directed at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter and BRS MLC K Kavitha have ignited a fiery political debate in Telangana.
Addressing a public meeting in Bhopal, Modi said that only a particular family would reap benefits if the people were to vote for the BRS while the people and their future generations could reap the benefits of development by supporting the BJP.
The timing of Modi’s comments, made in Madhya Pradesh, and the absence of similar remarks by BJP president JP Nadda during his public meeting in Nagarkurnool has led to intense internal debates in political circles in the State.
The BRS leaders are wondering why Modi singled out Kavitha, especially considering the Prime Minister’s frequent visits to Telangana where he refrained from directly naming any local politician. BJP MLA Eatala Rajender and former MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda over the course of two days, expressed their concerns to the top leaders, urging them to take action against Kavitha. They cautioned that failure to do so could result in a loss of support from the Telangana voters in the next elections.
On the edge
The BRS leaders are now on the edge over Modi’s remarks against KCR’s daughter, particularly as they were made following the State party leaders’ meeting.
The BJP leaders too are deliberating the potential impact of Modi’s comments on the party’s standing in Telangana. Additionally, the recent arrests of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in the Delhi liquor scam led to some BJP members questioning as to why no action has been taken against Kavitha.
The relevance of Modi’s comments will likely depend on subsequent actions taken by the leadership. The BJP leaders are apprehensive about the statements made by the top leadership against KCR and the perceived lack of action against them, which is causing significant unease within the party.
A group of BJP leaders said that the party’s high command is intently focused on Telangana, evident from Nadda’s comments against the ruling family during the Nagarkurnool meeting. They said that the PM only sought to expose corruption within the family’s rule in the country, a move intended to boost the morale of the party cadre.
Meanwhile, the Congress continued to criticise both the BJP and BRS, alleging an unofficial alliance between the two. This accusation has had the desired impact on the BJP, prompting several leaders to contemplate leaving the party.
KCR, who was in Maharashtra at the time of Modi’s remarks, now finds himself at the centre of this political drama. The BRS supremo has extended invitations to several prominent leaders from Madhya Pradesh, indicating that the Prime Minister’s comments have heightened political tensions in the election-bound State, where the party is seeking to expand its influence.
Unease in BJP
The BJP leaders are apprehensive about the statements made by the top leadership against KCR and the perceived lack of action against them, which is causing significant unease within the party.