Telangana is one of the focus states for BJP for coming to power: K Laxman

Telangana is one of the focus states for BJP for coming to power and the three-day visit of party chief Amit Shah beginning tomorrow would give a push to achieve that goal in the state, a party leader said today.

BJP's central leadership has identified Telangana along with states like Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka where the party can emerge stronger, Telangana BJP president K Laxman said here.

He said the party will go it alone in Telangana, where assembly elections are due in 2019.

Shah's visit to Telangana is part of the 95-day nationwide campaign undertaken by him from Jammu to reach out to the poor, rural populace and to strengthen the party organisation from grassroots level, he said.

The BJP chief would spend all the three days in Nalgonda district and interact with the poor and marginalised sections. He will also take part in a community lunch, said Laxman.

"It's a fertile political land for BJP in Telangana. Now, our national president is also focusing on Telangana. In the last one year, this is the fourth time our national president is visiting (the state)," Laxman told PTI.

Laxman was appointed Telangana BJP president in April last year.

"He is trying to reach out to rural masses in remote villages. He would like to go to weaker sections, Dalits and backward classes," the BJP leader said.

The leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the corruption-free governance of the NDA government, its major decisions like surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC and GST, besides the numerous welfare schemes would help the party reach out to the people in Telangana and to win elections, he said.

When pointed out that BJP has traditionally been strong in Hyderabad and other urban areas in Telangana, he said the saffron outfit has now become a party of all.

To strengthen the party machinery at the polling booth level, BJP is launching a campaign from May 29 to June 12 to reach every village in the TRS-ruled state, Laxman said.

BJP fought 2014 elections in Telangana in alliance with TDP, but it would like to go alone now, he said.

"My slogan is grow alone, go alone. Because, people have seen Congress and lost faith in Congress. TDP is also weakened now. All its MLAs in Telangana have moved to TRS. People feel BJP alone can become an alternative to TRS," the BJP leader said.

No other party except BJP is fighting against MIM (a Hyderabad-based outfit which enjoys influence in Old City areas) and the TRS government's move to increase quota in jobs and education for backward Muslims, he added.