BJP keeps mum on ruling parties in AP, TS

Saffron party plans to stay soft on TD till Assembly elections in 5 states are over

For different reasons, the BJP state units of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have refrained from taking an aggressive stance against the ruling parties.

When AP BJP leaders recently met their national president Amit Shah, he told them not to be aggressive and not to think of quitting the alliance with the Telugu Desam.

AP leaders who Mr Shah told him that TD leaders have started criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation decision as well as other issues.

They also told him that while Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is supporting the Centre’s move on demonetisation, he has allowed the rank and file of TD to criticise the decision. Even on other issues like constituting committees and nominated posts, the BJP though part of the government, is not taken into confidence.

However after hearing them, Mr Shah reportedly told them it is not the time to invite more troubles as the entire country is witnessing the consequences of demonetisation.

He told them that the TD with their strength in Parliament has been extending support to BJP though there was not much enthusiasm from the other partners of the NDA. He seems to have advised them to wait for some more time, at least till the outcome of the five state assembly results next year, after which a clear picture will emerge on BJP strength in Rajya Sabha.

However there is a different story in the Telangana unit of BJP.

Despite being told to grow and be the alternative for TRS in 2019 elections, for the past few weeks there seems to be no aggressive posture by Telangana unit leaders against the TRS.

According to sources in BJP, though TRS is not part of the NDA alliance, it is unable to provoke any situation causing inconvenience to the ruling establishment. BJP leaders stopped criticising the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on his palacial bunglow. They have not criticised the TRS on completing two and half year rule.

“With the CM openly announcing his support to demonetisation, our leaders think that it is not good for the party to attack him. But they are forgetting to attack the government on various other issues,” said one of the Spokesperson of Telangana BJP.

WHILE AMIT Shah doesn’t want AP BJP to burn bridges with the TD, Telangana’s ruling party TRS is not giving an opportunity for TS BJP leaders to criticise.