Lotus fades in Andhra Pradesh, lacks charismatic neta

Kakinada: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadre is in great distress as the party lacks a powerful, charismatic leader to attract the people and therefore, the party is unable to make any headway in Andhra Pradesh.

In 1999, former prime minister late A.B.Vajpayee and in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave helped the party to give some boost to the party cadre and also gave a chance to some of the leaders of the party to be MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other posts. But, now, in 2019, there is no such wave and many of the senior leaders are not participating in the party activities due to distress and a discouraging mood.

Though the leaders were given some posts, they are limited to sit on the dais as their party’s higher leaders come for the meetings. But they are also not making efforts to attract the people and to strengthen the party. There is a criticism that the only leader of stature from the state Varanasi Ram Madhav, the party’s National General Secretary, is unable to make any impression in his own state, though he made lots of efforts and strengthened the party in North East and some parts of the country.

“The party’s policy is that every leader should act as booth in-charge of his own town or constituency. Even the party’s National president Amit Shah is also holding booth in-charge post in his constituency. But, Ram Madhav has not participated even in a meeting at Amalapuram, his own constituency, and he was not able to attract the people towards  the ‘lotus’ in his own AP,” a senior BJP leader said.

The TD leaders also mocked the senior BJP leaders for not getting even deposits in their own places.

The party has disciplined and committed workers and many of the leaders have been continuing from Jana Sangh, RSS and other affiliations of the party. They are worried over the party affairs and felt that the leaders, who are holding party posts and government posts, are paying attention on their own selfish interests, but no steps have been taken for strengthening the party even in towns and cities.

“The situation has been worse since the past one year and we are not able to participate actively in the party’s activities under prevailing situations,” said the party’s state executive member B.Visweswara Rao.  

According to him, in 1999 and also in 2014 elections, the party was made use of for gaining Teugu Desam, but the TD suppressed the party after that. The party merely could not recover and could not learn any lessons from previous bitter experiences from TD. In one meeting, when Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao was asked in 2014, Mr Rao said that the party followed a “friendly-principle” and supported TD. But, in future, the party would be strengthened in AP, he said.