Hyderabad: If sources are to be believed, the three-day tour of BJP president Amit Shah in Telangana and AP from January 7 will be a more serious affair than admitting a few leaders into the party.
Mr Shah is apparently not satisfied with the BJP present leadership’s lackadaisical approach towards building the party. He may thus affect major changes in the party set-up to build the party independently and stronger ahead of the 2019 elections.
Sources said that as Nitin Gadkari and Mr Shah were anointed as party presidents at the national level, someone “unexpected” may take up the reins of both party units (of Telangana and AP), who will fully devote their energies for making the party stronger as per the wishes of the central command.
During his earlier visit, Mr Shah had given a direction to all BJP leaders to concentrate on their respective constituencies, to build the party by remaining in villages and take up public causes.
Sources, however, said that this did not happen. They said that a special report on the affairs of both party units prepared by some “independent well wishers of the BJP” was sent to Mr Shah. Based on the contents of the report, the national president will take up a serious review of party affairs here.
Mr Amit Shah will reach Hyderabad on January 7 night from Bhubaneswar. He will meet party leaders of Telangana on January 8, reach Vijayawada on the same night to take up a review on the next day.
Contrary to general expectations that Mr Shah’s scheduled tour in the two states would see more leaders joining the party, both state units have declared that it will not be so.
“Mr Shah will only meet office bearers of the respective state party units and review the ongoing party membership drive,” said BJP presidents of TS and AP, G. Kishan Reddy and K. Haribabu.
Party insiders say that the central party unit is not at all satisfied with the way Telangana party affairs are being handled.
“Despite the party being in opposition and the TRS government giving ample opportunities enabling the opposition to take up mass agitations against implementation of certain schemes, our party in Telangana is not at all moving in that direction, this was communicated to the central party,” said a key leader.
“It is a fact that the BJP is not making any impact in Telangana with its programmes. It has failed to bring in new blood into the party though Narendra Modi is creating waves elsewhere.
Amit Shah is going to take the leaders to task,” said another leader. They said that if the present condition continues, the Congress might gain in the region in the coming days instead of the BJP.
Meanwhile, the existing dilemma in the AP unit, which is part of the ruling Chandrababu Naidu-government, is that it is more difficult to build up the party than when it is in the Opposition. Mr Shah is expected to clarify on this to the party unit during his meeting in Vijayawada on January 9 and provide a direction.
