PM Modi's Oct 1 public rally to kick-start BJP's campaign in Telangana

Hyderabad, Sep 24 (IANS) BJP’s preparations for upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana are expected to get a boost with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on October 1.

He will address a public meeting at Bhootpur in Mahabubnagar district. The party leaders hoped that the meeting would kick-start their campaign for the polls, likely to be held in November.

The saffron party, which is busy finalizing its poll strategy, is also planning to organise public meetings to be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P. Nadda. These meetings are expected to cover a few districts.

Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Khammam on August 27. He had also attended Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations in Hyderabad on September 17.

Union minister for tourism and culture G. Kishan Reddy, who is also the state BJP president, is holding meetings with the party’s central leaders in Delhi to chalk out the action plan to intensify the campaign for upcoming elections.

The state BJP leaders had earlier planned to undertake a bus yatra but they have now changed their mind and are now planning public meetings in Assembly segments.

The party is expected to finalise the candidates by next month. It has already received more than 6,000 applications from ticket aspirants.

The BJP leaders claimed that the large number of applications reflect the huge support the party enjoys among the people. However, the party has not yet formed a state election committee to screen the names and make recommendations to the central leadership.

The saffron party is likely to announce its candidates for all 119 constituencies in three phases.

The BJP appears to be lagging in picking candidates. While ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has already announced its candidates for almost all seats, the selection process in Congress has also gathered momentum.

By announcing candidates for 115 seats a month ago, the BRS tried to show that it is confident of winning a third consecutive term in power. Barring a handful of constituencies, the ruling party has retained the sitting legislators.

The Congress party received 1,006 applications from aspirants. The party collected application fees of Rs 50,000 from general category applicants and Rs 25,000 from SC/ST applicants.

The Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) of Congress has already shortlisted the applicants and sent the list to the screening committee. The Congress is likely to release its first list of about 65 candidates by September-end.

With the BJP yet to constitute a state-level committee, a section of leaders feel that the process of finalizing the candidates may be delayed.