Hyderabad: With about a year-and-a-half remaining for the state elections to be held, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana is silently in touch with leaders from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Congress leaders. The saffron party is however asking for unconditional joining, without any promises for positions of power.
A senior BJP leader from Telangana, who did not want to be named, said that significant leaders are in touch with the state leadership. “There are many who want to join the BJP here, but we will take them only unconditionally. Many big leaders ask for big positions, and want assurances of getting an MLA ticket,” he informed.
The BJP leader also told Siasat.com that as of now, the party has candidates ready in about 40 to 50 assembly seats in Telangana (out of 119). ”Disgruntled leaders will also loo our way, but our Karyakartas will become leaders in the future. So why should we take people from outside?” he asked.
Will BJP prop up Eatala against KCR?
As of now, the BJP in Telangana has three MLAs in the state Assembly. The party won only one seat in the 2018 polls but managed to win the Dubbaka (2020) and Huzurabad (2021) by-elections. Huzurabad was more significant for the TRS and chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) as it was won by former KCR aide and ex-TRS minister Eatala Rajender.
Eatala was sacked from the TRS by KCR due to corruption allegations. A day earlier, he also expressed willingness to contest the Gajwel seat against KCR. A few BJP leaders also said there is a chance that Eatala may be propped up as the BJP’s face to counter KCR.
Other BJP leaders however also said that many leaders from the TRS and Congress will also threaten to leave as leverage for better bargains during elections with their own leadership.
“The BJP here has a Joinings Committee and that says something. It is headed by Eatala. The entire team of BJP Telangana has been put to work and so the TRS has become a little paranoid. They have apparently put a watch on leaders. However, at the end of the day, why would we foreclose all options?” said another BJP leader from Telangana.
2018 state polls
The TRS in Telangana won the 2018 state election by bagging 88 of the 119 Assembly seats. The Congress and TDP, which had an alliance, won 19 and two seats. However, 12 MLAs from the grand old party soon defected to the TRS. The BJP, which won only one seat then, managed to win four Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 general elections later.
When asked about defections, a TRS functionary, who did not want to be named, said that a few disgruntled leaders may quit and join the BJP. ”That is to be expected if they do not get tickets. If you don’t get a ticket, it automatically says something,” he added.
