After Cong, BJP too has become unwelcome in Seemandhra

BJP HAD COMMITTED ITS SUPPORT TO TELANGANA IN 1997 BUT POST THE DIVISION DECISION STARTED DEMANDING A PACKAGE FOR SEEMANDHRA.

HYDERABAD: Addressing a rally from Davangere in adjacent Karnataka a few days back, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi mentioned Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as avoiding Andhra Pradesh while visiting other parts of south India.

Now, Modi might also think twice before entering Seemandhra, which has 25 Lok Sabha seats, to campaign for votes. BJP had won two seats in 1998 and three in 1999 from Seemandhra — on par with its performance in Telangana.

With the BJP’s support to the Telangana bill in Parliament, especially in Lok Sabha which passed it without even a debate, the saffron party is also drawing ire of the region’s people. Seemandhra had turned against the Congress for its division decision in July.

The region pinned its last hopes on the BJP especially with Modi raking up the bifurcation issue everywhere he went in the country saying that, “Congress has put fire in Andhra Pradesh and both Telangana and Seemandhra are burning.”

In Coastal Andhra towns like Bhimavaram, Modi’s chai-pecharcha tea stalls were demolished and across the 13 districts, effigies of the party leaders, mainly Sushma Swaraj were burnt.

What infuriated them more is Swaraj asking Telanganites to remember her too, besides Sonia Gandhi, for supporting Telangana formation.

Party leaders from the region admit the anger. “True, our image took a beating. People expected us to stop the bifurcation but it would have put question over our credibility at national level,” said Kambhampati Haribabu, ex MLA, BJP national executive and disciplinary committee member.

BJP had committed its support to Telangana in 1997 but post the division decision started demanding a package for Seemandhra.

Hairbabu, who led the party Seemandhra delegations in Delhi, believes that BJP’s efforts in the Rajya Sabha to bring special packages and status would soothe the region.

The party for now has kept the plans for Modi’s tour in the region in abeyance.