BJP burns midnight oil to lure other party leaders

Hyderabad: Little drops of water make a mighty ocean seems to be the agenda of the State BJP to strengthen the party across the the State ahead of the ensuing elections to 132 urban local bodies (ULBs) to take on the ruling TRS.

According to sources, several leaders from the Congress, TDP and TRS are keeping in touch with the BJP leadership. But currently, the entire focus is on the second and third rung of leaders from the villages, mandal and districts.

They include former and current village sarpanches, members of the MPTs and ZPTCs, members of the District Credit Cooperatives (DCCs), Market Yard Committees (MYCs), farmers' organizations, SC, ST and Minority cells from other parties etc.

Giving details of the party line, a senior party leader said: "How small a leader is important when he brings even one or two along with him into the party."

As part of this line activity the party leaders have stepped up their activity resulting in more and more former sarpanches, ward members from the village panchayats and municipal bodies, MPTC and ZPTCs joining the party from Medak, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Nalgonda and other districts.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior party leader said, "The ruling TRS not only engineering defections of MLAs and MLCs from other parties, but its leaders also look for those who are influential before inviting them into the party at the local level.

Small-time or local leaders at the village and mandal levels are being treated as if they are nobody." In turn, it is giving a big boost for the BJP to grow into unchartered areas. Further, there are 132 ULBs in the State.

However, several of them are still more or less like rural areas. The party has garnered considerable support from the rural young voters in the age brackets of 18-26 in several districts.

The State BJP has been proactive on the issues concerning the students, young and unemployed making them look toward the saffron party, he said.

The party stand on issues like intermediate results fiasco has not only made it a friend to the young people but also going-to-be voters by 2023, he said.

In regard to the leaders from TRS joining the BJP, the sources said "It is unlikely any of them joining ahead of the ULB elections.

Because, it would alert the ruling party to re-engineer and re-configure its manoeuvres for the 2023 elections, as it has been doing by dolling out freebies.

This time, the party does not want to give that opportunity to TRS chief."