Telangana BJP gets Karnataka workers' support

Bengaluru: The BJP, which has found it challenging to build its party organisation from scratch in the newly created state of Telangana, is relying on its party workers from Karnataka to campaign for it in the assembly elections due in that state on December 7.

Pushing its Hindutva agenda in  Hyderabad city and its surrounding districts despite the dominance of Muslim voters in these parts, the BJP is expecting to win 10 to 15 seats and improve its previous tally of five seats in the Telanganda Assembly these polls.

But the main problem dogging the Telangana BJP is the considerable weakening of its party organisation owing to its coalition with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for over 15 years. Many leaders and workers have deserted the party and joined the TDP, TRS and Congress. Finding it a herculean task to mobilise the party workers for campaigning,  it is now relying on Karnataka BJP workers, who have been deputed to all 117 Assembly constituencies of Telangana and told to coordinate with party workers for the upcoming poll. BJP workers from Bidar, Raichur, Kalaburgi, Ballari, Koppal, Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts have left for Telangana. The party has chosen workers who are familiar with Telugu and Hindi, according to sources. The Karnataka BJP’s social media, event management and IT teams have also been deputed to Hyderabad to make effective use of social media for the election.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, former BJP corporator Shivakumar, who is in charge of the Rajendranagara Assembly constituency in Telangana,  said the Karnataka workers had been asked to coordinate meetings, the campaign management and distribution of handbills, and also assign party workers to approach voters at the booth levels.