Hyderabad: Muslim reservations will be the new poll weapon for the BJP as it looks to spread its wings in TS at the expense of the ruling TRS in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the Act increasing Muslim quota from 4 to 12 per cent will be passed in the ongoing Budget session itself.
The BJP has decided to oppose this tooth and nail and hold massive rallies to garner support of people across the state against ‘religious reservations’.
Fresh from the landslide victory in UP, the BJP, which is traditionally weak in TS, is preparing the ground to build strength for the 2019 elections by declaring war against ‘dynastic and family rule” of the TRS.
Party leaders say the BJP had succeeded in removing “Maa-Beta ki sarkar” in 2014 in Delhi (referring to Sonia-Rahul) and “Baap-Beta ki sarkar” in UP now (referring to Mulayam-Akhilesh in UP) and will repeat the story in TS in 2019 by dethroning TRS, in which the “baap, beta aur beti” call the shots.
BJP national president Amit Shah addressed two public meetings in Suryapet and Warangal in 2016. In Warangal, he labelled TRS government as “the most corrupt in the country” and accused the CM of being “scared” of MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. “KCR ji, it is not Owaisi who made you CM, but the people of Telangana,” he had said.
In Suryapet, the BJP chief accused the TRS government of misusing Central funds, saying, “Central funds up to Rs 90,000 crore sent to Telangana for various schemes have not reached the people.”
While Amit Shah raised the pitch against the TRS with his fiery speeches which prompted TRS leaders to lash out at the BJP, the situation changed in November 2016 following demonetisation as the CM strongly supported the move. However, the BJP’s stunning performance in recent Assembly elections, especially in UP, changed it’s point of view on regional parties. The party is keen to establish its political supremacy in all states before 2019.
“Muslim quota is totally unconstitutional. We will strongly oppose religious reservations. We will lead a massive movement on the lines of Telangana movement against Muslim quota. We have already launched a state-wide signature campaign against it to gather public support, which has been receiving overwhelming response. We will take to the streets against Muslim quota, if the Act is passed,” said BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy.
He expressed confidence that the BJP-led government at Centre will not approve reservations based on religion. The BJP has also decided to take up agitation programmes against forcible acquisition of land for irrigation projects and failure of TRS government in delivering on its major poll promises of 2BHK houses for the poor and free three acres of land for all Dalit families.
