HYDERABAD: The proposed March 6 tour of BJP national president Amit Shah is generating lot of curiosity not just among the BJP cadres but also among the TDP leaders.
The visit and the public meeting that is being organized at Rajamahendravaram have assumed significance as BJP’s alliance partner and AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is under attack from Kapu patriarch Mudragada Padmanabham over the issue of Kapu reservations and also the principal opposition YSRC on the issue of capital area land scam. Equally significant is the fact that the Telangana BJP is all set to severe its ties with the TDP in the newly-carved out state.
Since Shah, who has been formulating strategies with the sole aim of expanding the BJP base in the South, is going to take part in the BJP’s public meeting against the backdrop of these political developments, the TDP is keenly watching the tour and the message that Amit Shah is likely to give. A strong section of the BJP is also curious to know what stand Amit Shah will take on the Kapu issue in the Kapu stronghold of Rajahmundry.
If the BJP boss makes any comment on the Kapu reservations issue, it could cause trouble to the ruling TDP in the State.
According to sources, Shah, who is keen on making his party grow on its own in the reorganised State and occupy the political vacuum created post the decimation of the Congress Party, could give broad guidelines to the saffron cadre that the party is no longer interested in playing a second fiddle to the TDP. Some senior leaders of the party are also likely to request the party boss to give broad guidance to the party rank and file that it should expand its base in the state.
“The meeting is primarily aimed at publicising the Centre-sponsored schemes being implemented in AP. The primary focus will be on refuting the claims of TDP leaders that the Centre had not fulfilled promises made to the re-organised State,” party State vice president Kapileswaraiah told Express.
According to him, during the public meeting, the BJP national boss will read out a long list of promises fulfilled by the Narendra Modi Government.
“The TDP is resorting to propaganda against the Centre. The allegation that the BJP had done nothing for Andhra Pradesh is patently false. The Centre has done several things – be it selecting the State for ‘24X7 power supply’ scheme or clearing hurdles for the construction of Polavaram. Our party president will explain all these issues,” Kapileswaraiah stated.
Amit Shah would also explain the details of the assistance provided to the State under various Central Government schemes during the past two years, he added.
Key leaders want Kapu to be BJP state chief
Though it was earlier believed that incumbent Kambalapati Haribabu would be continued in the party state chief’s post for another term due to his proximity to both theTDP and Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, clamour is growing from some key leaders that the state unit should be headed by an aggressive leader to take on the TDP. In the wake of Kapu reservations issue taking a centre stage, some of the leaders are of the view that if a leader from Kapu community is made party’s new president in AP, the party could gain substantially as Kapus are numerically strong. Amit Shah is expected to give clarity on who would be the next president of the party’s AP unit.
The visit and the public meeting that is being organized at Rajamahendravaram have assumed significance as BJP’s alliance partner and AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is under attack from Kapu patriarch Mudragada Padmanabham over the issue of Kapu reservations and also the principal opposition YSRC on the issue of capital area land scam. Equally significant is the fact that the Telangana BJP is all set to severe its ties with the TDP in the newly-carved out state.
Since Shah, who has been formulating strategies with the sole aim of expanding the BJP base in the South, is going to take part in the BJP’s public meeting against the backdrop of these political developments, the TDP is keenly watching the tour and the message that Amit Shah is likely to give. A strong section of the BJP is also curious to know what stand Amit Shah will take on the Kapu issue in the Kapu stronghold of Rajahmundry.
If the BJP boss makes any comment on the Kapu reservations issue, it could cause trouble to the ruling TDP in the State.
According to sources, Shah, who is keen on making his party grow on its own in the reorganised State and occupy the political vacuum created post the decimation of the Congress Party, could give broad guidelines to the saffron cadre that the party is no longer interested in playing a second fiddle to the TDP. Some senior leaders of the party are also likely to request the party boss to give broad guidance to the party rank and file that it should expand its base in the state.
“The meeting is primarily aimed at publicising the Centre-sponsored schemes being implemented in AP. The primary focus will be on refuting the claims of TDP leaders that the Centre had not fulfilled promises made to the re-organised State,” party State vice president Kapileswaraiah told Express.
According to him, during the public meeting, the BJP national boss will read out a long list of promises fulfilled by the Narendra Modi Government.
“The TDP is resorting to propaganda against the Centre. The allegation that the BJP had done nothing for Andhra Pradesh is patently false. The Centre has done several things – be it selecting the State for ‘24X7 power supply’ scheme or clearing hurdles for the construction of Polavaram. Our party president will explain all these issues,” Kapileswaraiah stated.
Amit Shah would also explain the details of the assistance provided to the State under various Central Government schemes during the past two years, he added.
Key leaders want Kapu to be BJP state chief
Though it was earlier believed that incumbent Kambalapati Haribabu would be continued in the party state chief’s post for another term due to his proximity to both theTDP and Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, clamour is growing from some key leaders that the state unit should be headed by an aggressive leader to take on the TDP. In the wake of Kapu reservations issue taking a centre stage, some of the leaders are of the view that if a leader from Kapu community is made party’s new president in AP, the party could gain substantially as Kapus are numerically strong. Amit Shah is expected to give clarity on who would be the next president of the party’s AP unit.