The Asian Age

BJP preparing to sound poll bugle from Hyderabad

- Bandi Sanjay Kumar The writer is an MP and Telangana state BJP president

The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Hyderabad on July 2 and 3 will be a milestone for the party. Apart from discussing its long-term political strategies, the meeting will also chalk out a comprehens­ive action plan for the next two years. The NEC meeting is expected to sound the bugle for the 2024 general elections in the country, and this is all set to happen from Hyderabad. Though the NEC meets were a regular affair, this could not be done for the past two years due to the Coronaviru­s pandemic. The last time the BJP held its NEC in Hyderabad was back in 2004, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The present meeting will focus on bringing BJP back to power at the Centre for the third consecutiv­e time, winning in states where it is not in power, and the Lok Sabha constituen­cies where it had not won in the past.

The meeting in Hyderabad is important for state BJP as the national leadership has made it clear that conquering Telangana is next on its agenda, as this state, after Karnataka, is where the BJP can expand its footprint in the South.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Telangana unit, under national BJP directions, has been reaching out to people, and for the first time, the state leadership undertook a massive exercise, which has never been done in any other state. The networking of senior leaders, including Union ministers, MPs, former chief ministers of the party, with the local cadre in all the 119 Assembly segments is a first, and will help senior leaders understand implementa­tion of Central government schemes, and gauge people’s resentment against the TRS government, besides studying organisati­onal issues and steps needed to win in that constituen­cy.

The BJP’s resounding victory in by-elections to Dubbak and Huzurabad, and the impressive show in the GHMC elections have given a new hope to the party that it will not be difficult to wrest victory from TRS in the next elections. The huge response to BJP programmes in the state indicates the mood of the people, and the party is gearing up to face Telangana Assembly elections, whenever they are held. The BJP national leadership has acknowledg­ed this fact and through the NEC, and the public meeting at Parade Grounds, is planning to send a strong message to the cadre and the people that it is a historic necessity to bring the BJP to power in

Telangana as the only alternativ­e for the TRS. Especially with people realising that if they vote for Congress, its MLAs would sell themselves to TRS at a later stage.

At present, there is no party that can challenge the supremacy of BJP at the national level. Though regional parties are stronger in some states, they have their own limitation­s. Gradually, people are rejecting family-based parties in states, as was evident from the latest by-elections to two Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The people are also disgusted with unholy alliances between various parties for their political exigencies, as was witnessed in Maharashtr­a.

The NEC will also provide a new direction to the BJP cadre to help them rise to the occasion in developing India on all fronts in the next 25 years, and to make India a super power by 2047 to coincide with the country’s 100 years of Independen­ce celebratio­ns. In the last eight years, the BJP leadership and the Narendra Modi government at the Centre have taken several measures for social justice, economic developmen­t and the country's sovereignt­y and security. The way it has selected a tribal woman as the candidate for Presidenti­al elections shows its commitment to the empowermen­t of 12 crore Adivasis.

Despite the pandemic crippling economies of several countries, including developed nations, India made a remarkable recovery in a short span of time and showed a new direction to the rest of the world with its speedy vaccinatio­n drive. India also made rapid strides in various sectors like industries, start-ups, rural developmen­t and agricultur­e under the dynamic rule of Narendra Modi. Even during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war crisis, India displayed its independen­t foreign policy to protect our interests. And the Agnipath scheme will go a long way in strengthen­ing the military system.

The BJP’s agenda is people’s welfare and country’s developmen­t. It will strive for a qualitativ­e change in the national polity, which has no scope for dynastic rule and corruption. Every decision of the BJP is aimed at building India into a great nation and enlighteni­ng every citizen of the country to strive for nation building.

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