Telangana BJP pins hopes on Amit Shah's June 15 public meeting

Hyderabad, June 10: Rattled by the drubbing in last month's Karnataka Assembly elections and worried over its likely impact on Telangana polls, the BJP leaders in Telangana are looking forward to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state on June 15 to motivate the party cadres.

Amit Shah will address a public meeting at Khammam and the saffron party is making elaborate arrangements to mobilize at least one lakh people.

The meeting is expected to lift the sagging morale of the party in the wake of shock defeat in Karnataka and prepare it for the Telangana Assembly polls due to be held in November-December.

Shah's visit also comes amid the internal strife in the BJP with a section of leaders demanding a change in the state leadership and the party's failure to lure former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao to its fold.

Both the leaders were recently suspended by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for anti-party activities. Srinivasa Reddy, who is from Khammam district, is reported to have made his mind to join Congress.

BJP MLA Eatala Rajender, who heads the joining committee of the party, failed to persuade the two leaders to join the saffron party. During the meetings with Rajender, they in turn advised him to quit the BJP.

Rajender and some other BJP leaders who joined the party in recent years are said to be unhappy with Bandi Sanjay and demanded the central leadership to appoint a new leader.

A recent reported statement by a senior central leader of the BJP about the saffron party's real strength in the state has also dealt a blow to its rank and file. The leader reportedly admitted that BJP is trailing at third position in the state.

The BJP has been trying to project itself as the only viable alternative to BRS. Its top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah exuded confidence at many occasions that the party will storm to power in Telangana.

Meanwhile, Bandi Sanjay visited Khammam to review the arrangements for Amit Shah's public meeting. He was confident that through the success of this public meeting, BJP would give a befitting reply to its political rivals about its strength in Khammam district.

Both BRS and the Congress party have been mocking BJP over lack of presence in Khammam district.

Sanjay said a committee comprising senior leaders will be constituted to ensure mobilisation of people for the public meeting. He asked BJP cadres at booth level to make plans for bringing people to the public meeting.

He claimed that a march of unemployed organised by the party in Khammam recently was a huge success. He also stated that several districts wanted to host the Home Minister's public meeting but the party chose Khammam to show its strength in the district.

He also alleged that BRS, Congress and a section of the media had conspired to damage the morale of BJP.