BJP gaining ground in Naxal-hit coal belt areas
The BJP is fielding its candidates in all the Assembly constituencies but till recent years, the party virtually had no presence.
ADILABAD: The BJP is gradually gaining ground in the coal belt areas which were once a stronghold of revolutionary politics and people here had even boycotted elections in some places.
The BJP is fielding its candidates in all the Assembly constituencies but till recent years, the party virtually had no presence. The BJP has fielded its candidates from Bellampalli and Boath which were once a stronghold of the Naxal movement in old Adilabad.
Comrade Peddi Shankar of Bellampalli had died in the first encounter with the police that took place on the state’s borders in the early 1980s. He was one of the members of the first Dalam of CPI (ML-Peoples War) which had crossed the river Godavari and entered into Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra from Telangana to grow and spread the organisation.
Even top leaders like Katakam Sudarashan from the coal belt area were now in the central committee of the CPM.
A famous Dalam led by Sagaranna, who had good relations with the people, used to work in the Boath and gained sympathy of people. The BJP has fielded Koyyala Emaji as its candidate in Bellampalli constituency reserved for SCs and senior Adivasi leader Madavi Raju in Boath Assembly constituency.
The spread of the BJP is a reflection of the social and ideological change that has taken place in the last 10 years in many places in old Adilabad.
BJP to announce second list soon
The BJP is expected to announce its second list of candidates for the TS Assembly elections in a day or two. The BJP had already announced its first list of 38 candidates earlier this month.
The party leadership has screened and shortlisted the ticket aspirants and sent to party’s central leadership for approval.
The list will be referred to party’s National Parliamentary Board for approval. The BJP is planning to announce candidates in three phases for all the 119 seats. The party is also considering defections from other parties once the Mahakutami announces its seat adjustments and tickets and tickets for these defected leaders would be accommodated in the third phase.
The party expects several ticket aspirants from the Congress, TD, TJS and CPI, who may not be given seats in the Mahakutami, to join BJP. The third list of candidates will be announced in the first week of November after the Mahakutami list is out.