BJP repeating Telangana template in Andhra Pradesh to create space for itself

AMARAVATHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is apparently using the Telangana playbook in Andhra Pradesh by repeating similar template to create space for itself with a view to laying a foundation for its future.

The BJP by ensuring to spread that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was the “B” team of the BJP - which is actually not true, has split the minority vote in Telangana. It has encouraged its leaders surreptitiously to demand the arrest of BRS MLC Kavitha, daughter of BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao, indirectly let the Congress apologies the “B” team slogan.

Minority voters grew apprehensive about KCR and his politics, despite the BJP charging him with resorting to “minority appeasement” through numerous schemes like “Shadi Mubarak” and adopting an Assembly resolution for 12 per cent reservation to Muslim minorities. KCR’s biggest favour to the Muslim minorities is the establishment of minority residential schools and minority scholarships to students.

Also Read: BJP appoints 17 leaders as political in-charges in Telangana for parliament elections

The BJP cleverly removed its aggressive face Bandi Sanjay Kumar from the presidency of Telangana BJP unit and replaced him with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. If Bandi Sanjay was continued in the position, he would have continued his tirade against the BRS and the Congress.

Though outwardly it seemed as if a mild Kishan Reddy would not ruffle the feathers of the BRS, the move had indeed helped the Congress on the ground. This obliquely indicated the tacit understanding between the BJP and the Congress.

The BJP meticulously entrenched in the minds of people that the BRS could go with it post elections.

The BJP is maintaining a ‘blow hot-blow cold’ relationship with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress supremo Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Even Jagan was articulate in his support to the BJP and he had announced it on a public dais in Visakhapatnam that he was not in a confrontation mode with the Centre, meaning Prime Minister Narendra Modi right in the presence of the latter.

Meanwhile, the BJP has been soft-pedalling with the Telugu Desam Party despite its ditching the BJP twice — once after the 2004 general elections and again in 2018 — by walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Telangana Congress leadership is cozying up with the Prime Minister. A vernacular daily in its editorial comment observed that Modi confided in Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mally Bhatti Vikramarka, that the BRS should be finished politically and that he had no hassle if the Congress held the reins of the State.

One can easily see through the behind-the-scenes camaraderie of the Prime Minister with the Congress chief minister who began his political career as an activist of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a frontastudent l organisation of the BJP.

The way Modi obliged Revanth Reddy’s requests and assurances granted can be understood as an ostensible support to accomplish the task of attacking KCR. The granting of permission to Telangana Tablue jn the Republic Day Parade is just a case in point exclusively meant for public posturing and optics that Revanth’s dispensation is maintaining a cordial relation with the Union Government.

The larger game plan is that it’s easier to fight the Congress in elections rather than a strong regional party. The glaring example is the outcome of the elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. If a strong party like the BRS is decimated and eliminated from the fray, the BJP perceives that it becomes easy to take on the Congress.

Also Read: Telangana BJP hopes for improvement in Lok Sabha elections, hectic lobbying starts, Amit Shah to visit State

Ditto is the case with YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh.

Immediately, Jana Sena Party (JSP) of Pawan Kalyan has been part of the NDA for long. And, interestingly Pawan Kalyan cozied up with the TDP and announced a poll truck and the two parties are working closely already.

This could be an essential link to complete the circuit of TDP-JSP-BJP combine. If the BJP joins hands with the TDP-JSP combine, TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu thinks that he can repeat the feat of 2014 and wrest power in the State from Jaganmohan Reddy. Therefore, he is sparing no efforts in trying his best to get closer to the BJP politically.

The BJP, which garnered lesser votes that NOTA in 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh, has nothing to lose. It has made N T Rama Rao’s daughter and former Union Minister Daggubati Purandeshwari the Andhra Pradesh unit’s president and she’s often launching a tirade against the YSRCP while being pally with the TDP.

If the BJP can break away the minority vote from YS Jagan, the opposition combo can try to curry favour from the anti-incumbency sentiment.

The Congress party’s decision to hand over the reins of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee to YS Sharmila, sister of Jagan, it viewed with precision, may give rise to doubts on the BJP-Congress nexus as far as the second Telugu-speaking State. If Sharmila can take away a chunk of YSR Congress votes which include traditional Congress vote bank, and minority voters, Jagan could be stopped in tracks owing to anti-incumbency. If that happens, the BJP would work on re-engineering the political equations within the State.

Thus, the BJP is apparently heavily banking on repeating the Telangana template in Andhra Pradesh.

Because, Jagan cannot openly partner with the BJP as his constituency of voters are far different from that of the BJP. An open alliance would be detrimental to the interests of the YSR Congress too.

With almost no stakes in the State, the BJP unveiled a game plan to take on Jagan a la KCR.