BJP Turns Feb. 11 Contest Into Team Effort

Hyderabad: In a coordinated push, the BJP has deployed every MP and MLA to spearhead its municipal election campaign, turning the February 11 polls into a high-octane “team effort” that has made the contest a tough race against the ruling Congress across several towns.

Under state president N. Ramchander Rao’s command, party leaders took charge of ticket allotments, focusing on winnability and loyalty, and launched whirlwind tours of wards in their constituencies to energise grassroots workers. The drive gained momentum with national president Nitin Nabin launching the campaign in Mahabubnagar, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis boosting border Mancherial, and actress Navneet Kaur touring communally sensitive Bhainsa and Karimnagar.

Rao’s state office war room ramped up booth-level planning by appointing in-charges for every urban local body. The BJP fielded candidates across all 2,996 wards and mounted relentless pressure on Congress with a “charge-sheet” of its 26-month record, under the banner Save Telangana. Rao warned voters that a Congress vote meant “tax terrorism,” alleging Revanth Reddy would burden citizens with property, power and water taxes amid empty state coffers. He accused Congress of failing on jobs, farm loan waivers, women’s aid and Rythu Bharosa, while playing a “communal card” through the 4 per cent Muslim quota at BCs’ expense.

Union minister G. Kishan Reddy joined the attack, branding Revanth’s policies “shameless appeasement” and pointing to a “BRS–Congress nexus” that he said wrecked urban governance for 12 years. BJP leaders also alleged a tacit Congress–AIMIM pact, with Kishan Reddy claiming Revanth was “subservient” to AIMIM, likening him to KCR, and accusing Congress of morphing into a “Muslim League Congress” by expanding quotas.

Meanwhile, AIMIM has fielded 282 candidates across 43 municipalities, targeting Muslim-heavy pockets including Adilabad, Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Bodhan, Bhainsa, Tandur, Nirmal, Zaheerabad and Sangareddy. Buoyed by its 125-seat win in Maharashtra, Owaisi is leading the campaign, after bagging 87 seats last time in alliance with BRS. Congress has denied any alliance with AIMIM, but BJP insists there is a tacit deal.

In what is shaping up as a tough fight, BJP is eyeing big gains in municipalities and corporations, convinced that BRS has crumbled statewide and hoping to secure outright control ahead of the GHMC and Assembly polls.