Buoyed by Bandi Sanjay Kumar's yatra, BJP sees TRS pressing panic button

Hyderabad: An elated Telangana BJP is to sharpen its tools to strengthen the party organisation in the 38 Assembly constituencies covered under the first and second phases of the 'Praja Sangrama Yatra' of State party chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior party leader pointed out that the 31-day second phase of the yatra ruffled feathers of ruling TRS party, unlike in the first phase. The first phase of 36 days, across 19 assembly segments in eight districts and six Lok Sabha constituencies, covered mostly along the national highway and urban segments, with some rural patches. However, the second phase of 31-day yatra, covering nine assembly segments, was focused on striking at rural segments. "The huge response to the second phase to make inroads into rural segments has sent the TRS leadership into a tizzy; turning it to go aggressive and offensive against the BJP, the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he added.

The State BJP leadership feels that, while bringing up issues like paddy procurement, national economy, performance of the Centre, step-motherly treatment to Telangana, the TRS has failed to convince people on them.

For the first time in the past eight years, TRS and its leadership have been clearly on the back foot and playing defensive/offence on political front. The TRS ministers, like K T Rama Rao, went on whirlwind tours to districts on a spree of inaugurations of development projects only making people perceive that the TRS is going all-out to seek and validate its approval ratings and acceptance from voters by coming under pressure from the BJP.

On the party front, Amit Shah's call to throw out the TRS from power at the public meeting on the concluding day of the Praja Sangrama Yatra and to work for the cause of separate State objectives of 'Nillu, Nidhulu and Niyamakalu' has served two purposes.

Firstly, it has sent a clear message to the party rank and file that Telangana is the next port of call to come to power. Secondly, the Central leadership stands solidly behind Bandi Sanjay Kumar and he would continue to be in the driver's seat. Third, handing over a clear agenda of political activity to project the electoral battle ahead in Telangana would be between the saffron brigade and the pink party.

For this, the third and fourth phases of the Praja Sangrama Yatra would be defining moments for the party. Bandi is to cover more than half of the total assembly segments in the State, including focusing on SC and ST constituencies. It is to strengthen the party in all assembly segments covered under the yatra and galvanise people's support, particularly young voters, as there exists a disconnect between the TRS and youth across the State.