BJP finds it difficult to make inroads in Greater Hyderabad, South Telangana

Since the BRS captured maximum assembly seats in the Greater Hyderabad limits and has fairly good support in the region and the Congress appears to be in a strong position in South Telangana, it has become difficult for the BJP to make an impact in these regions.

Hyderabad: Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding road shows and rallies in the State in the last three months, the BJP is yet to make inroads in the Greater Hyderabad region and South Telangana, causing concern among the party leadership.

Since the BRS captured maximum assembly seats in the Greater Hyderabad limits and has fairly good support in the region and the Congress appears to be in a strong position in South Telangana, it has become difficult for the BJP to make an impact in these regions. Even in the assembly polls, the party managed to win just one seat in the Greater Hyderabad limits and failed to open an account in South Telangana.

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Though the BJP had won 48 corporator seats in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in 2020, their position has become weak, which was witnessed during the assembly polls.

Though BJP candidates from Secunderabad, Malkajgiri, Chevella and Hyderabad have undertaken intensive campaigning in their respective constituencies, the response has been lukewarm. Malkajgiri BJP candidate Eatala Rajender is facing a lot of problems as he is an outsider. Sources in the party say that Eatala was not getting much support from local BJP leaders and functionaries as they were ignored by the party high command while allotting tickets.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who represented the constituency, was also making efforts to keep the seat with his party, making it very difficult for Eatala to win the seat.

Even BJP State president G Kishan Reddy, who was trying to retain his Secunderabad seat, was facing an uphill task as the ruling Congress and BRS were reportedly putting all out efforts to defeat him. There are also reports that the local population is not so happy with Kishan Reddy as he failed to take up development works in the constituency.

Following this, Kishan Reddy is presenting a report card of his five years tenure to the people of the constituency on Thursday to highlight the development works undertaken by him.

Hyderabad seat candidate Madhavi Latha, a political novice, has become popular in media circles and social media due to her comments on various issues, but the ground reality looks totally different with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi way ahead of her in campaigning. With just one month into campaigning, the path ahead looks difficult for her. The lack of support from local BJP leaders, especially Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh, has also made it difficult for her to make inroads into the Majlis baston.

Even in the South Telangana region, the saffron party is facing an uphill task as all the candidates are from other parties and the local BJP leaders are reportedly not cooperating with them. Nagarkurnool BJP leaders and functionaries are reportedly not cooperating with party candidate P Bharath, who joined the party days before the announcement of the candidate list. In Nalgonda too, party leaders are demanding the high command to replace Saidireddy Shanampudi, who joined from Congress.

“As long as BJP replicates the strategy it advocates in other parts of the country in Telangana, it would remain an outcast. The party cannot fully depend on Modi in the South,” a BJP leader said.