Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J.P. Nadda is reported to have directed the party presidents of the southern States to ensure that a sizeable number of MPs are elected from here in the Lok Sabha election at the regional consultative meeting held here on Sunday.
The party’s organisational strength and the current political scenario in these States were discussed at the closed-door meeting attended by the respective party presidents and those in charge of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, etc.
On behalf of the Central leadership, party general secretaries B.L. Santosh, Tarun Chugh, Sunil Bansal V. Sateesh (special invitee) were present while Telangana was represented by Union Minister and newly appointed State party chief G. Kishan Reddy, former Minister D.K. Aruna and Rajya MP K. Laxman along with former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar as the State in-charge.
Respective State party presidents gave presentations, after which Mr. Nadda is reported to have told them that the Central leadership would chalk out a strategy for the 2024 general election and the Assembly poll this year.
He is said to have instructed Mr. Reddy and campaign committee chairman Eatala Rajender to ensure that there is no further erosion in the ranks of leaders leaving for other parties in the coming days.
Party sources informed that the national president told them that since the Central leadership had made changes recently, there should not be any more excuses in allowing leaders to jump ship and instead the focus should be in luring ‘disgruntled’ leaders from other parties.
Mr. Nadda felicitated Mr. Reddy on taking charge as the Telangana party president and recalled coordinating with him during the 2014 election. Later, accompanied by Mr. Reddy, the party national president visited the Secunderabad Mahankali Ujjaini Temple on the occasion of the traditional ‘Bonalu’ festival. Rajya Sabha member K. Lakshman was also present with the BJP chief at the temple.
A State core committee meet was also held at the airport hotel in the night.
According to BJP sources, there is a possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi contesting from the South in the 2024 election to reach out to the people in the region, and the effort to explore a ‘safe’ seat has begun.
