HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Telangana state on July 8 to set the foundation stone for a wagon overhauling service centre at Kazipet and a mega textile park in Warangal, where he will also address a public meeting, providing a much-needed impetus to the state BJP’s Assembly election campaign.
Announcing Modi’s visit on Thursday, the state BJP said that a planned meeting of BJP state chiefs and party’s organising secretaries from southern states that was previously scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on July 8 has been postponed. BJP president J.P. Nadda was to chair the meeting to take stock of party affairs in the states going to polls in the next 12 months.
Modi’s visit comes within weeks of Nadda’s trip to the state, on June 25, during which he addressed a public meeting at Nagarkurnool as part of the BJP’s Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan. The Prime Minister’s visit also comes in the wake of alleged discontent among some senior leaders of the party in the state.
Although it has been made clear by the party’s national leadership that there will be no changes in the state leadership, speculation continued that there could be some structural changes in the state executive and new responsibilities to be given to Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajender and former Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy.
It may be recalled that these two leaders were summoned by the party leadership to Delhi last week to discuss their concerns at a meeting with Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah, with Union minister from Telangana, G. Kishan Reddy also present.
Soon after the date for Modi’s visit to Warangal was confirmed, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar held a teleconference with party leaders from the district to discuss preliminary arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit and the public meeting.
Sanjay Kumar said Modi has been giving time for Telangana state amid his busy schedule, as per the state unit’s request, as has been the case with Nadda and Shah. “This shows the seriousness with which the national leadership of the BJP takes the Assembly elections in the state to be held towards the end of this year, and its keenness on winning the election,” he said.
