Telangana BJP yet to strengthen cadre in 10,000 polling booths

Hyderabad: The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to step up its efforts to strengthen the party in 10,000 and odd polling booths spread across the State.

It may be mentioned here that earlier the party had chalked out an elaborate plan of action to strengthen the party from the level of polling booth following the directions of the then party chief and current Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

However, even after a lapse of one-and-a-half years that the saffron party had rolled out its Vistrak Saptah, it is still not able to make a headway in 10,000 out of 32,000 polling booths in the State.

According to party sources, as per the set standard, a 'C' category polling booth is one where the party had polled less than 10 votes. But in reality, the 10,000 polling booths identified are critical since the party had got only four to five votes during the earlier elections.

The troubled polling booths for the party are mostly located in the combined Khammam, Warangal, rural parts of Ranga Reddy and in two more districts, and the party is yet to make inroads in those areas.

Speaking to The Hans India, party senior leader Perala Shekhar Rao said that at present the party has completed 90 per cent of activation of polling booths in the State and there are only a few which would be the party's focus soon.

He said the formation of the district and mandal committees have been completed. The formation of the new booth committees would also be completed soon.

When asked about the presence of a weak base structure of the party at the booth level, he said, the party was weak at few places in Adilabad, Karimnagar and in few other places. But the way people responded electing four MPs in the Lok Sabha elections shows the BJP's growing appeal among the masses. Post Lok Sabha elections, the party has gone down to the village and booth level with a solid party activity in Adilabad, Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts. Currently, the party sees itself being active in six out of 10 combined districts of the State and covers with its activities in the two-thirds of the political landscape in the State.

Also, in several districts, the Congress leadership along with their MLAs have joined the TRS. In turn, the BJP has filled the gap and become alternative to the TRS, he added.

The saffron party leaders see that BJP's expansion and consolidation in Telangana have already begun. It will see further raising curve during the ensuing civic polls to the Hyderabad, Warangal and Khammam Municipal Corporations, and Nakrekallu and Siddipet municipalities. Also, it hopes to win both the graduate constituency elections. The party is also keeping high hopes on the Dubbaka Assembly by-election.