Will Eatala Rajender in saffron brigade replicate Dubbaka win in Huzurabad segment?

Hyderabad: Will leaders like Etela Rajender kickstart levelling the political ground for the BJP in turfing off TRS from its rural strongholds in Telangana?

This is assuming significance in the saffron party circles ahead of the former TRS leader and Health Minister Etela Rajender all set to flaunt the lotus scarf on Monday, joining the BJP in the presence of party national president JP Nadda in Delhi.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior party leader said that the party has the presence of its party cadre. And, sparing a few, its organisational structure has been expanded to booth level in rural and urban areas across the State. Adding to it, the party has been witnessing a good response from people from the rural pockets and quasi-urban towns during several rounds of polls starting from the last State Assembly elections to the latest graduate MLC and Nagarjuna Saagar Assembly by-elections. But, "when it is time to show up during elections, there is an element of hesitancy in people and they are shying away from voting," he said.

What could be the problem with this disconnect between the people and the party?

The saffron party has been brooding with this issue after repeatedly went on electrifying electioneering and agitating on several issues bothering farmers, youth, unemployment, funding for the development in rural areas and municipal towns. But, "We found it unsuccessful in weaning people away from the ruling TRS for the past couple of years despite our best efforts," said another leader, who is a member of the State Executive.

When asked, party sources pointed out that the ruling pink brigade has three advantages. Firstly, it has the advantage of being a ruling party and misusing the administrative machinery, mostly police. Secondly, it is spending huge sums to lure and entice voters in its favour. Thirdly, the schemes rolled out by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao still influencing the choices of the people in the rural areas, "either due to fear of losing the social welfare benefits or they still want to support the ruling party."

However, it does not mean that there is no discontent among people belonging to different sections who still see that there is not much change on multiple fronts between the pre- and post-bifurcation of the united Andhra Pradesh, he claims. The silver lining that the party sees is that people did not vote for it in every election. Yet, "they increasingly rallied around it to emerge as the only alternative for TRS in Telangana. But the party lacks leaders who could connect and translate their support into voting for the party."

Now, the party sees leaders with familiar faces in the rural constituencies and quasi-urban towns with a track record of active participation in the separate statehood movement and part of the government post bifurcation would fill the gap in reaching out to the people and to translate their support into votes for the party. And, Huzurabad Assembly by-election from where Etela will be contesting would write another electoral victory for the party on the lines of the Dubbaka Assembly by-election.