Bharatiya Janata Party’s resounding electoral defeat in neighbouring Karnataka is likely to have a ripple effect in the State with a new political alignment in the making with a section of the disgruntled newcomers into the party, along with those sitting on the fence, seriously considering of teaming up to form a sub-regional political outfit in select districts.
These are leaders with sizeable financial resources, bitterly opposed to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and uncomfortable with the saffron party. While the rift between TS BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and former minister Eatala Rajender is wide open, the latter is being wooed to join the new outfit hoping to ‘swing’ votes in about 50 Assembly constituencies, according to party sources.
What has set these group of leaders thinking is the failure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, film stars and other stalwarts in arresting the the slide despite heavy duty campaigning in the neighbouring State. Local issues and local leadership has trumped there over a centralised leadership where there is little or no scope for feedback and backtracking on contentious issues, is the general feeling.
With some districts being contiguous to Karnataka, they are of the opinion that the party could meet the same fate here too as it has no stranglehold on any major caste (like Lingayats, for example in Karnataka) and depending too much on the ‘Hindutva’ umbrella.
These leaders are reported to have already taken up surveys on the ground to try and understand the people’s mood with the intention to eventually have an understanding with any of the bigger parties to prevent split of anti-establishment vote, disclose party sources.
The party’s old guard, who have been watching the newcomers trying to dominate the political landscape quite helplessly, however, feel vindicated pointing out how neglecting the tried and trusted people had sent the party into a spiralling defeat in the adjacent State.
“Should the party develop organically from the grassroots or by defections, ignoring the old guard is the moot point. Development plank and highlighting failures of the current government cannot be ignored. We need to review if the success formula elsewhere will work here,” added party sources, pleading anonymity.
