BJP reaching out to people of Telangana with yatras

Hyderabad: The BJP in Telangana plans to reach out to the people of the State with mass reach-out programmes beginning next week.

As the Opposition party in the State, the BJP feels it can come to power there following its good show in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections and the byelection to Dubbak Assembly constituency late last year.

The reach-out programmes include a 'padayatra' to be undertaken by State president of the party and Parliamentarian Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

While Sanjay Kumar, known for his fiery speeches, is scheduled to launch his padayatra from the Bhagyalakshmi temple at Charminar here on August 24, Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy has undertaken a 'Jana Ashirwada Yatra' for three days beginning August 19.

Kishan Reddy's yatra is to seek the blessings of people in view of his recent elevation to the Union Cabinet, State BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told PTI on Saturday. It was mandated by the national leadership of the party for the newly-inducted ministers to go to the people and seek their blessings, he said.

Kishan Reddy's yatra was a government-related event, not political in nature, he said.

Sanjay Kumar's padayatra is timed to coincide with the possible byelection to Huzurabad Assembly constituency in Karimnagar district, according to party sources.

Bypoll to Huzurabad is necessitated due to resignation of sitting MLA Eatala Rajender two months ago after he was removed from the State Cabinet over allegations of land-grabbing.

Rajender, who denied the allegations, has since joined BJP and is likely to be its candidate in the bypoll. The Election Commission has not yet announced the schedule for the bypoll in Huzurabad.

"BJP is wanting to connect to the people at the village-level and ensure they understand the ideology of the party, our agenda, our political and governance agenda," Krishna Saagar Rao said.

"Then, we want to request the people of Telangana to give us an opportunity whenever the elections are, to let us show them how the governance of the BJP will be different from the regional parties, especially the TRS for the last two terms," he said.

Observing that the agenda and aspirations of people of Telangana with regard to water, employment and resources, and in the formation of the separate State is clear, Krishna Saagar Rao alleged that the TRS has failed the people.

The BJP alone can fulfil the core agenda of people and the party wants to communicate the same to people, he said.

The saffron party has been known for undertaking yatras since the days of L K Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said N V Subhash, a BJP spokesperson in the State.

The yatras would help to understand people's problems at a micro-level and to take them to the notice of the State and Central governments, said Subhash, a grandson of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. Sanjay Kumar's padayatra would continue in phases in the run-up to next Assembly elections.