A popular opinion within the BJP, as per internal assessment and surveys, is that the party will increase its number by at least 10 folds when compared to last time in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.
Senior party members are also confident that their vote share will jump by 2.5 times. In 2016 GHMC elections, BJP in alliance with Telugu Desam Party (TDP), could win in four out of a total of 66 wards it contested, lapping up a vote share of around 10 per cent.
Prior to the most vociferous campaign undertaken by the saffron party in the recent times in Telangana, the fillip came in the form of a by-election victory in Dubbaka Assembly segment last month. Around 700 RTIs were filed by the team of the candidate and now MLA Raghunandan Rao. The content of the replies were effectively weaponised to defeat the ruling TRS party. The hard-fought battle in Dubbaka saw an assertive campaign by the BJP with the collective involvement of Sangh Parivar members including RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal.
Though the win was by a slender margin, it greatly energised the party and its cadre which has a negligible presence in the state assembly with only two MLAs out of a total of 119.
Soon after, the Telangana BJP had set its eyes on the GHMC when a surprise was sprung in the form of early elections, leaving the national party with little time to prepare. However, the party decided to go all-guns blazing using all its might, making the municipal corporation polls look like a general election.
The BJP which is contesting in all the 150 wards this time has only taken its campaign notches higher, in terms of Hindutva slogan, than what was seen earlier. Constantly targetting “MIM-TRS friendship”, indulging in religious rhetoric, invoking Pakistan and Rohingyas and specifically giving attention to the old city, where Muslims are in majority, is only one part of the hyper-aggressive strategy being applied by the minds in the party.
The other part, of course, is optics. On the day, when Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, is holding a massive public meeting in the heart of the city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be landing in Hyderabad for an official programme. It is learnt that the PMO had conveyed to the chief minister's office that he need not be present to receive the PM as part of protocol.
Though PM Modi will not campaign for GHMC, the visit is seen as an attempt to not only eclipse Rao’s meeting but also to portray that the city holds a significant place for PM Modi and the party, ahead of the GHMC elections. On the last day of campaign, November 29, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will himself get onto the streets of Hyderabad by participating in a road show and before that, he will seek blessings at Bhagyalaxmi temple, which is at a disputed site at Charminar.
The BJP dropped more than four union ministers—Kishan Reddy, Smriti Irani, Prakash Javadekar, Nithyanand Rai—into the south city and also BJYM President Tejaswi Surya. The party president J.P. Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityananth are the other big names who added strength to the BJP’s offensive.
It is no secret that the Telangana BJP is undergoing a transformation; the old guard is giving way to new leaders and voices. The body language and the utterances are quite different from what was seen earlier. Party president Bandi Sanjay, who is leading the attack does not mince words when attacking the Owaisis or KCR’s family.
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For now, things seem to be working in favour of the BJP as there is a sudden migration of mid-level and senior leaders, including former legislators, council members and parliamentarians, to the saffron camp. The BJP is also making serious efforts to consolidate the BC (Backward Caste) vote bank, who consists of more than 50 per cent of the state population. In this process, leaders and cadre from Gowd, Yadav, Munnur Kapu, Padmashali communities are being welcomed with open arms. One of BJP’s poll promises is to waive off traffic challans of two-wheelers and autos. The idea, according to party sources, is to attract the youth who are turning up in large numbers at their meetings and rallies.
The GHMC election is the inflection point for BJP in Telangana. If there is a groundswell of support leading to it grabbing an impressive number of wards, the current campaign, strategy and leadership will gain legitimacy which will lay the foundation for 2023 Assembly elections. If the party, however, fails to garner enough numbers , then it can be considered a downfall for the party.
The party, in its current phase, is dreaming big. The BJP leaders are hinting at a possible future scenario where the TRS government may crumble because of influx of ruling party legislators to BJP.
