HYDERABAD: The BJP on Friday set itself a goal of winning all SC and ST reserved Assembly seats in Telangana, which are spread over 21 of the 33 districts of the state.
The party, which had been talking for a while about ‘Mission 31’, referring to the number of reserved constituencies, has now broken it down into two for ease of following up on the work required to make this goal a reality.
For the 12 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes communities, and 19 for the Scheduled Castes, the party will focus on Mission 12, and Mission 19. Senior party strategist and BJP national general secretary Sunil Bansal, also the state election in-charge, on Friday met with party leaders to discuss the way forward on these two ‘missions’.
Even as the party began making these plans, BJP SC Morcha president Koppu Basha took aim at Chennur BRS MLA Balka Suman asking why the MLA was silent at the treatment meted out to Durgam Bapu, a Dalit from Shetpally of Kotapalli mandal in Chennur constituency, who was tied to a pole inside the home of a BRS leader.
Basha alleged that Bapu was dragged by the local BRS leader to his home and tied because some cattle belonging to Babu had entered the BRS leader’s fields and damaged some crop.
“The SC and ST MLAs in the BRS must answer why they are silent. The BRS is the only party that regularly insults Dalits,” Basha said.
The discussions were focused on how the BJP had done in the past in these reserved constituencies, and whether the party has its booth level committees in place, possible party leaders who can be shortlisted as candidates and tours by senior party leaders in these constituencies.
“Both the SCs and STs have been taken for a ride by the KCR government which has made many promises such as Dalit Bandhu, Girijan Bandhu, and houses for the poor but has not delivered on these promises and our campaign in these constituencies will focus on these failures of the KCR government and inform people about programmes and schemes implemented by Narendra Modi government at the Centre for SCs and STs,” a senior BJP leader said.
The meeting was attended, among others, by BJP vice-president D.K. Aruna, general secretary Tarun Chugh, state general secretary Bangaru Sruthi, and election campaign committee chairman and Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajendar, and leaders of the SC and ST Morchas. Also in attendance were former MP AP Jithender Reddy who will oversee the party activities in the SC reserved constituencies, and Garikapati Mohan Rao, who will look after the party work in the ST reserved constituencies.
ST CONSTITUENCIES:
Asifabad, Boath, Khanapur, Devarakonda, Dornakal, Mahbubabad, Pinapaka, Yellandu, Aswaraopeta, Bhadrachalam, Wyra, Mulugu.
SC CONSTITUENCIES:
Chennur, Bellampalli, Jukkal, Dharmapuri, Choppadandi, Manakondur, Zaheerabad, Andole, Chevella, Vikarabad, Secunderabad Cantt., Achampet, Nakrekal, Tungaturthi, Station Ghanpur, Wardhannapet, Madhira, Sathupalle.
