BJP lags behind as Congress, BRS hit ground running ahead of Telangana Assembly polls
HYDERABAD: As the Assembly election are round the corner, the ruling BRS, in attempt to gain advantage over rival parties, announced its list of 115 candidates well in advance. The Congress too initiated the process of selecting its candidates.
The BJP, however, seems to be lagging behind in this crucial exercise just months before the elections. The party insiders say that in many constituencies the exercise has been completed and the party’s central leadership is aware of the value and strengths of its candidates in those segments.
It may be recalled that in September/October last year, hundreds of saffron party workers and leaders from other States were dispatched to tour and assess the strengths of political leaders in the Assembly constituencies across Telangana.
It was an exercise which was also done to understand the strengths, weaknesses and the winning chances of BJP, its local leaders, and also the leaders of other political parties.Soon after the exercise, the ‘Farmgate’ shook the State and politics suddenly took a different turn.
In view of the elections, the Congress sought its ticket aspirants to submit their applications, taking Rs 25,000 from SC/ST aspirants and Rs 50,000 from general category applicants. Copying the very same idea, but without application fee, the BJP too went on a ticket aspirant outreach drive from September 4 to 10.While the Congress received 1,006 applications for 119 constituencies, the BJP received more than 6,000 applications, owing to the application fee waiver.
While the BJP’s State leaders are well aware of the party leadership’s proactive steps in selection of candidates, some of them are wondering what was the need to accept applications in that case.According to a senior State leader, one of the objectives of the application drive was to create excitement among the party cadre and leaders, which was evident in the applications received, where even ordinary workers were given an opportunity to apply for contesting on the party’s ticket. Another source tells TNIE that the party leadership is also seriously considering these applications, and that candidates will also be selected from among these applicants.
On the other hand, there are a few State leaders who may not have applied for tickets, but they may suddenly emerge out of nowhere with a wildcard entry at the last minute.According to sources, the party will release its list in three phases, and the first list with at least 35 candidates could be announced towards the end of this month or in the first week of October.
The Congress’ screening committee has already been on the job by holding meetings in the State and in Delhi, suggesting names for the party leadership to consider. It is also believed that its list will be released on October 2.However, the BJP’s State election committee has not been formed yet. This panel is supposed to recommend the names of the candidates to the party’s central election committee, which will take a call on who to field in the elections.
All eyes are on BJP state president G Kishan Reddy, who will be returning back to Hyderabad on Saturday, after which the State election committee is expected to be formed. And nobody is more excited than those 6,000-odd applicants, who have relentlessly worked to help the BJP emerge as a strong contender to apply brakes on the BRS’s attempt to eye a third term in the government.
