Hyderabad: The internal party message at the mega Bharatiya Janata Party meeting was loud, emphatic, unmissable and clear.
BJP senior leader and Union home minister Amit Shah, who was on a lightning tour to the city on Saturday, categorically conveyed not only the party’s strong resolve to defeat what he dubbed a “nikammi aur brasht” (incompetent and corrupt) TRS government but also its unshakeable intent to carry out the task under the leadership of party’s Telangana unit president and Karimnagar MP, Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
Though the BJP’s top leader didn’t specifically announce Sanjay as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, people, a practice the BJP as a party has maintained in all states where it has not in power, Telangana unit BJP leaders got clear indications that the incumbent state unit president would lead the BJP government till the next elections, whenever they are held.
Even as the mammoth crowd kept cheering and clapping, Shah said, “Abhi yeh pata chala ki hame aane ki jaroorat nahin, balki Sanjay hee kaafi hain” (looking at the enthusiasm in the crowd and the response Sanjay is getting for his padayatra, I have realised I am not needed for the task at hand, Sanjay is enough to dethrone K. Chandrashekar Rao).
The Union home minister went on to appreciate the efforts of Sanjay in fighting against the TRS government and building momentum for the party. At one stage, Shah said, “Bandi jeet jayega, aur Bhajapa ki Sarkar banegi” (Bandi will win and BJP will form a government and deliver…)
To everyone’s surprise, Shah asked the crowd to take out their mobile phones and asked them to dial a number (6359-119-119), which he readout, and post a missed call. Amit Shah explained that every missed call registered on this number would enhance the strength of Sanjay.
The party central leadership has been backing Sanjay from the day he was chosen to lead the state party unit for next general elections. Sanjay has brought “josh” among the cadre and is quite singularly responsible for taking the fight against TRS to streets and rejuvenating the cadre.
Sanjay has gained popularity amongst anti-Chandrashekar Rao sections of public, especially for paying back the Chief Minister and TRS supremo in his own style and lingo, a vocabulary frowned at by linguistic and Constitutional purists but loved by the masses, with vituperative and emotive phrases and choicest adjectives hurled at rivals.
A strong lobby within the Telangana BJP tried to defy and weaken Sanjay’s leadership, arguing that he was not capable of taking everyone along and was neglecting other leaders, but such factions found no favour from the high command of the saffron party.
In fact, dissidents had to face the music from the Modi-Shah combine, which refused to entertain the dissidents and continually backed Sanjay in all his initiatives and programmes.
