Hyderabad : Dubbaka, GHMC victories make BJP magnetic

Hyderabad : The focus of all political parties has now turned towards Warangal and Khammam municipal elections.

While the TRS is working out strategies for the Hyderabad- Mahbubnagar- Ranga Reddy Graduates' constituency and the Warangal- Khammam- Nalgonda Graduates' constituency, the BJP enthused by its recent victory in Dubbaka by-election and good performance in the recently held GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) elections has launched 'Operation Akarsh' and is trying to poach both the ruling TRS and Congress leaders.

After the film-actor-turned political leader Vijayashanti, Congress senior leader and former minister A Chandrasekhar is all set to join the BJP on December 28. The Congress leader is planning to hold a big public meeting on the eve of joining the saffron party.

Though the former minister and senior most Congress leader K Jana Reddy has denied that he was joining BJP, it is learnt that efforts are on to rope him into the BJP before the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly by-election schedule is announced. BJP wants that either Jana Reddy or one of his two sons should contest from there.

Another Congress leader, who is likely to join BJP is Maheshwar Reddy from Adilabad. He was elected from Nirmal constituency in 2009 elections as PRP candidate and joined Congress after formation of Telangana State. Congress senior leader and former minister P Sudharshan Reddy from Nizamabad is also said to be among those who would soon join BJP. The BJP is said to be focusing on North and South Telangana districts. More migrations from Congress are expected if Congress working president A Revanth Reddy fails to become the TPCC president.

As far as the pink party is concerned, dissident TRS leaders like former MP and TRS leader from Khammam P Srinivas Reddy had said that he was contacted by the BJP. He will take a decision soon after consulting his followers. Another senior leader and former minister Tummala Nageswar Rao is also sulking and is on the BJP's radar. However, Rao has not made up his mind, it is learnt.

BJP leaders say that they have been told by their party high command that BJP should make all-out efforts to come to power in the next elections and hence all its strategies are aimed in that direction.