Nadda asks Telangana BJP leaders to pull up socks

JP Nadda has asked party leaders from Telangana to pull up their socks for the upcoming assembly elections

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda has asked party leaders from Telangana to pull up their socks for the upcoming assembly elections. Nadda, who presided over a key meeting of State presidents, organisational secretaries and in-charges from 11 States at the State BJP office here on Sunday, said it was high time that the party prepared itself for the crucial assembly election.

He reportedly said the party leadership had made organisational changes as per the requirements of the State leaders, hence, it was their duty to ensure that the party performs well in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

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The party chief also warned of stringent action against those indulging in anti-party activities and bickering. Nadda and organizational national general secretary BL Santosh briefed the party State chiefs about the strategies to be adopted to strengthen the party in their respective States.

BJP sources said that a total of 32 leaders including the national office bearers of the respective States participated in the meeting. From Telangana, State election in-charge Prakash Javadekar, State chief G Kishan Reddy and Rajya Sabha member K Laxman participated in the meeting.

Meanwhile, the BJP State unit is holding a meeting of the office bearers on Monday, in which party district presidents and in-charges of the State will be present along with office bearers. The meeting will discuss programmes to be taken up ahead of the election.

The Southern States are crucial for the BJP as together they have 129 Lok Sabha seats, and in the 2019 polls, the BJP could only manage to win just 12 seats from these five States. In fact, the party won just four seats in Telangana and 8 in Karnataka, while it drew a blank in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There are 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 39 in Tamil Nadu, 17 in Telangana, and 28 in Karnataka, respectively.