The problem with most of the election strategies is that they are made in a hurry. People do not sit and discuss the religious, cultural, social and economic angle of the geography they are trying to win over. But, the BJP is different. They come late but come with excellent strategy. The saffron party is doing the same in Telangana.
BJP in South India
If you look closely at the map of India, you will notice that the only big geographical bloc where the BJP is facing stiff opposition is South India. Nonetheless, the nationalist party has not given up. It repeatedly raises important issues concerning Kerala’s painful Communist regime. It’s a gutsy act to raise the issue of political killings in a communist regime.
Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, they are creating a strong support group. K. Annamalai, a fiery former IPS officer, leads the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chapter. He is well aware of the system, which includes politicians, the media, and other influential groups. The way he handles them is treat to eyes, which is one of the reasons Annamalai is so popular.
In Karnataka, BJP is already in power. In fact, the party is so confident of Karnataka, that it is sending local leaders to the Parliamentary board committee. However, except Karnataka, BJP is not in power in any southern state.
Problem stopping BJP in South
The main problem has been that they did not strategize in accordance to the people’s needs. In many instances, they copy-pasted the strategies which they had adopted for North India. Even, that was not done to full extent and therefore, failed.
One of the big problems with BJP strategy in South India has been that the party never had a single power centre from where it could control things. For instance, to control UP and Bihar, BJP knew that it needed to control Lucknow. By controlling Lucknow, BJP could gain upper hand on a total 120 Lok Sabha seats and 646 assembly constituencies.
Apparently, South India has more than 120 Lok Sabha seats and if somehow a headquarter like institution is created in the region, BJP could gain many more seats than it has been able to get till now. Luckily, they do not have to hunt for it. In fact, it seems as if they have located it already.
Hyderabad comes off as saving grace
The city is Hyderabad, capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. BJP is carefully making its inroads in the city and Telangana, and by extension the whole of South India.
Hyderabad, which FYI might be called as Bhagyanagar anytime, is not just a capital city of a South Indian state. At the current juncture of time, it won’t be wrong to call it a cultural hub of the southern India. Though in terms of economy and other developmental prospects, both Bengaluru and Hyderabad are easily comparable, this city is mainly known for its soft power.
The city houses not just politicians, but film stars, cricketers, and renowned badminton players. The famous celebrities resided in Hyderabad, includes Mahesh Babu, Vijay Devarakonda, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Jr NTR; cricketers like VVS Laxman, Hanuma Vihari, woman cricket stalwart Mithali Raj; Badminton stars like P V Sindhu, Sayna Nehwal among others.
BJP getting the support of celebrities
The rules of voting are simple. If you capture a celebrity’s heart, their fan base will develop a soft corner for you. BJP is doing the same. The last few BJP leaders’ meetings with South Indian celebrities have grabbed headlines. Moreover, it is not that local leaders are taking the lead. It is BJP’s top brass which is taking the charge. Amit Shah met Junior NTR, fuelling the fire around rumours of him joining politics. Similarly, J P Nadda met actor Nithin and cricketer Mithali Raj in August.
The talks of filmmakers enlightening people about the mayhem done by Razakars, Owaisis’s ancestors are also going around. If the project is finalised, V. Vijayendra Prasad, a Rajya Sabha member and father of S S Rajamouli will be implementing it. For this reason, cancelling of a promotional event of Bollywood movie Brahmastra in the city is being seen from the political angle.
Not a one trick pony
However, it would be factually and demonstrably wrong to say that BJP is using shortcuts to make inroads. Even the harshest critics know that BJP, unlike others, do not rely on such tricks. Moreover, in the past the saffron party has already been subjected to suit-buit jibe, which is another reason why it would not want a high-profile image for the top brass of the party in state.
These are the reasons why its on-ground reach in the state is commendable. BJP has deployed both local support base as well as national leaders, to galvanise people’s support. Top national leaders who are meeting Tollywood stars are also having one-to-one conversation with masses through public rallies and other events. PM Modi is himself one of them.
PM Modi’s outreach in Hyderabad
In the beginning of July, PM Modi addressed a public meeting in Hyderabad. In the meeting, he explicitly told people that BJP is committed towards the development of Telangana. He also appreciated the work ethics of the people of state. PM Modi especially appealed to the women voters by mentioning how BJP governments have empowered women wherever they are in power.
In the meeting, PM Modi stressed about the need for unanimity between central and state governments. Citing centre’s collaboration with the states in which the party is at the helm of affairs, he asked the people to repeat their support, as they did in Greater Hyderabad elections. The mantra of double-engine growth also grabbed headlines. In the meeting high dignitaries like Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also present.
Top brass in Hyderabad
51 days later, Home Minister Amit Shah kicked off BJP’s campaign in Hyderabad. From the podium he announced the uprooting of the KCR government from the state. He attacked KCR’s minority catering politics by apprising people that due to possible loss of Muslim vote banks, KCR was not celebrating Telangana Liberation day. Few days after Shah’s speech, BJPs’ national; president J P Nadda also visited Telangana to address the rally.
Road shows and rallies
But, it is not only about public speeches. People go to attend and then forget about it. To change sentiments into votes, retention is the key. This is done through massive road-shows and rallies, which are in fact a method to highlight how serious the party is about winning people’s support.
Even here the BJP is leaving no stone unturned. With the help of the Internet and other means of communication the party is reaching to the last mile of the state. 2 days before PM Modi addressed a public meeting, J P Nadda had kicked off the groundwork by holding a massive roadshow in Hyderabad. The loyal party cadre is also holding motorcycle rallies in different places with the slogan ‘Palle Gosa – BJP Bharosa.’ Other than holding briefs for the BJP’s mission, these rallies highlight what KCR is doing wrong and BJP could rectify by coming to power. Another Yatra named Praja Sangrama Yatra being held in multiple phases is also a step in this particular direction.
BJP using its tried and tested strategy
Campaigning on the road helps BJP stay in touch with the needs of the people. That’s how they understood issues like inflation, increasing prospects of industries are not going to work. Telangana is in fact a rich state and ranks 3rd, when it comes to the per capita income. But, downside of modern day prosperity is that people long for their cultural roots. This is where BJP’s cultural attachment is coming in handy.
Revival of Hinduism in Hyderabad
In spite of the state having an 85 per cent Hindu majority, issues around protection of their religion have taken a back seat. Well, KCR and others including TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu can be forgiven for following a nationwide trend, still the problem needs solution. BJP is telling the Hyderabadis and by extension the Telanganites that it will revive the fortunes of Hindus in the state. Whenever, BJP or RSS organises any of their functions in the city, they use the word Bhagyanagar instead of Hyderabad.
Even PM Modi used the same name in July. It is a clear cut message to Owaisi’s party and KCR that the BJP will adopt its tried and tested strategy in Telangana as well. They need to fear since the BJP has a proven record of winning elections by galvanising people under the umbrella of Hindu identity. An identity which was broken into factions to gain votes. BJP leaders visiting Bhagya Laxmi Mandir and more specifically, PM Modi unveiling the Statue of Equality are in fact bigger manifestations of BJP’s intentions.
Emphasis on local politicians
Not only religious, but the BJP is also targeting the aloofness which the south Indian population has felt during the last 7 decades. They are doing it through a top down approach, which means they are eliminating the sentiment of being neglected by the local leaders. Hyderabad, or should I say Bhagyanagar is slowly becoming the new war zone of the BJP.
In 3 months, 2 national executive meetings of the party have already taken place in the city. Sending local party leader Dr K Laxman to Rajya Sabha was another step in this direction. The loyal party cadre is ensuring that the message is getting passed on to masses as well.
Coalition partnership with Chandrababu Naidu is also a possibility
BJP has set the target to get 10 seats out of 17 in Lok Sabha and 70 seats out of 119 in state Assembly elections. How much are they? Well for context, the party has 4 MPs from the state and only 1 MLA in the state assembly. The lone MLA became victorious in the 2018 Assembly elections. At that time, it looked as if BJP will be eliminated from the state altogether. However, the 2019 Lok Sabha election and Modi wave gave a huge boost to the party cadre. Increased number of MPs in Lok Sabha elections has also prompted the otherwise rival leaders, to look towards BJP for support.
Chandrababu Naidu, who had quit the NDA in 2018, is now feeling out of sync with vote bank politics. Naidu’s TDP recently supported BJP’s Presidential Candidate Draupadi Murmu. Additionally, reports of BJP leaders keen on taking Naidu on board have also been making rounds. Naidu enjoys massive popularity in Hyderabad and his revival in Telangana could increase his chances of coming back to power in Andhra Pradesh as well.
KCR is helping BJP
Last but not the least, KCR, Telangana’s perennial Chief Minister is himself digging his own political grave. While freebie politics is constantly getting unpopular, the man has axed his leg by supporting it. Once, he had also talked about changing the Constitution. Moreover, KCR holds national ambition; he said that soon he will launch a national party. Apparently, it is an attempt to revive a failed experiment called Mahagathbandhan with Nitish Kumar and others who have lost their political ground, after 2014.
Victory is easy for BJP, given that they do not get complacent. KCR has national ambitions which mean that a void is likely to be created. BJP needs to fill it, which is incidentally a focal point of their prospects in South India. It is only BJP’s game to lose. Only they can torpedo themselves.
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