Hyderabad: Delivering a blunt message to Telangana BJP leaders, party national president Nitin Nabin is learnt to have warned that the central leadership would no longer tolerate infighting, saying internal divisions were hurting the BJP’s image, confusing cadre and undermining its growth prospects in the state.During his first meeting with the Telangana BJP leadership since taking charge as national president, Nabin reportedly told party leaders that the central leadership had done everything possible to strengthen the state unit and that there was no room for further complaints or public displays of internal differences. He is learnt to have made it clear that leaders must work together or make way for others.
The meeting was attended by Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao, Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy, Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, MPs, MLAs and senior leaders. Telangana BJP affairs in charge Abhay Patil facilitated the meeting and hosted a lunch for the state leadership ahead of the discussions.According to party sources, Nabin reportedly told leaders that the Telangana unit could not afford to remain divided at a time when the BJP was seeking to expand its political footprint in the state. He reportedly said factional rivalries were sending the wrong message to party workers and weakening the party’s public image.Outlining the BJP’s political strategy, Nabin is learnt to have directed the state leadership to target the BRS as aggressively as the ruling Congress, saying both parties should be treated as the BJP’s principal political rivals in Telangana.He also set electoral targets for the state unit, asking leaders to focus on winning the upcoming GHMC elections, other municipal polls and the two pending MLC elections.Seeking to galvanise the leadership, Nabin reportedly said the BJP had the organisational strength to form the next govt in Telangana. Citing the party’s rise to power in states such as Tripura and Odisha, he stressed that electoral success was possible if leaders remained united and worked as a team.Referring to chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s political ascent, Nabin is learnt to have observed that if the Congress could return to power within a short period, the BJP too could achieve the same, provided its leaders put aside differences and focused on expanding the party’s base.BJP to contest GHMC polls on its own: RaoTelangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao ruled out any alliance for the forthcoming GHMC elections, asserting that the party would contest the civic polls independently.Speaking to reporters after meeting Nitin Nabin, Ramchander Rao said Jana Sena remained an NDA constituent at the national level and any decision on electoral coordination in Telangana would be taken by the BJP’s central leadership. “The BJP will contest the GHMC elections on its own,” he said.He added that the party would intensify its campaign against the Congress govt over the alleged failure to implement its six guarantees and other public issues.Ramchander Rao said there would be no distinction between long-time BJP members and recent entrants, and claimed that several leaders from other parties were willing to join the BJP.Expressing confidence about the party’s prospects, he said the BJP was preparing constituency-wise and had potential candidates identified in several segments, adding that the party remained committed to forming the next govt in Telangana.
