Some of my friends on internet wanted BJP to grow in AP. I just put the question how? At one point of time BJP had 4 Lok Sabha MPs from A.P. But there were no efforts to build on it. It got less than 2% of the votes polled in 2009 elections. From such a bad condition how to make BJP a dominant force in entire AP is the question. In the native village of Venkayya Naidu its former national president and present general secretary, BJP did not get even a single vote in the 2009 election. This summarizes its position in AP.
The present leadership seems to think Telangana agitation role is the answer for that. I have extensively worked for BJP during Ramjanmabhumi agitation period when it was in main opposition in Delhi and had little presence in AP. Even in those days there is no effort from the Top leadership do build the party to the level of TDP and Congress in AP. But it found an idea of Ramajanmabhumi agitation and could mobalize people and workers in a major way. Now there is no such idea with BJP.
The level for stupidity in the present day BJP leadership can be seen from the recent BJP state level leadership instructions to Non Telangana district units to take up Jai Andhra agitation. It only goes to show how disconnected they are from popular mood in Non Telangana districts and also in Hyderabad City.
They want to ride high and come to power in any future Telangana state on the basis of their support to division of AP. Good. But they failed utterly to understand such stand will be very very costly in rest of AP. Congress and TDP with all their cunningness, ground level network and understanding of AP conditions clearly see it. But BJP is completely ignorant of this reality. BJP as a national level party can not ignore any area in the country if they really want to come back to power in Delhi. Yet it is ready to completely ignore its future the Non Telanagna areas in AP.
It is one thing to support small states on principle for which they may face less backlash If BJP is doing some agitation for division of AP in Telangana areas independently then also they may escape with less cost than their present association with KCR and his so called JAC. To support Telangana along with KCR and his gang and share platform with naxals like Gaddar is sheer stupidity. When the Tankbund demolition was done with KCR gangs, BJP had to give an apology for the same. It should have realized at least then that it is following Neo Razakar forces in Telangana.
Having gone with KCR, BJP never even tried to be critical of the “Andhra Bhago” slogans of KCR and its Telangana local leaders speak the same language of TRS in attacking Non Telangana people in AP. BJP can not be part of hate campaign in Telangana and go to costal districts and Rayalaseema and expect to get their votes. In fact it has no face to show in most of AP as of now. That is why Advani could not even come to non Telangana areas in AP in his recent yatra. Sushma Swaraj with her Ballary mining links participating in Telangana meetings and the discredited leaders of past like Advani taking of Telangana (after saying it is not possible while he was Home Minister) will only show how bad BJP is managing its efforts to grow in AP.
Had BJP tried to do any independent agitation for division of A.P. and had it from the start opposed the KCR and his attacks on Non Telangana people and his hate campaign it would have placed itself better in entire state. Further it simply forgot that its core base in Hyderabad city comes from Non Telangana people living there. Yet it had irreparably damaged its cause in the twin Cities because of its association with KCR. Now if Kishan Reddy contests from Hyderabad city he may face serious defeat. How you can possibly gain in entire AP by making almost 200 MLA seats out of 294 seat out of reach for next 10 to 15 years because of its badly managed role in Telangana?
The promise of Sushma Swaraj that they will give Telangana within 3 months of getting into power also is quite surprising. Will such division without state assembly consent be acceptable to Shiva Seena for example? Will it’s other possible allied AAIMK ready for such action? Further it likely they may need TDP just like last time to form the government in 2014. TDP is most likely to get those MPs from Non Telangana areas only. Will TDP support AP division in such conditions? By the way TRS will never gang up with BJP as it is a covert congress operation badly gone wrong (and seems to have become uncontrollable.)
Even if AP is divided, in Telangana, congress and TDP are quite strong. TRS will be a major force at least for a short time (before its merger into Congress that is) BJP to grown there even with their support to Telangana agitation will be quite difficult. It has no money and its organization may not be match to that of Congress or TDP. It will not be given any credit for creation of Telangana state. All the credit of statehood if it is formed will go to KCR and his TRS. So it can only expect marginal gain in short term and no gain in long term in Telangana.
First thing BJP needs in AP is an idea just like NTR idea of Telugu pride and self respect. It does not have one and has no capacity now to bring some thing like to forward. Present idea of division of AP already created a condition that it became a non entity in most of AP. The second thing it needs is money power. It simply does not have money power A.P. There are no Gali brothers to finance it in AP. Many of BJP district Presidents and General Secretaries do not even own a car. Can such people take on money bags of Congress and TDP?
If it can only have an idea capable of mobilization of all the nationalistic people in then it can get money power also because then people with cash will see it as a force and start investing in it. As long as it does not have any idea and can not mobilize people on such idea it will be 2% party in AP.
I am of the view that only by aggressively taking up the Hindu cause in the AP BJP can grow fast. There is serious Evangelical and Jihadi efforts to convert Hindus all over AP. Leaders like YS Jagan are part of this gangs and congress is also part of this gang. Most of the Hindus can see this. Yet BJP does nothing. They had serious chance when Delhi wanted to take over the Thipulathi Thirulama management. Yet they have not utilized such an emotional issue. When Rajagopuram of SriKalahasthi constructed by Sri Krishna Devaraya collapsed and also when Bhavanarayana Temple Gopuram collapsed it has a chance to show how bad the Congress Government is treating Hindu religious places. Yet it did nothing. Now they have to search for openings which are emotional to Hindus in AP and if they are committed they will find some soon and they have to exploit it seriously. Building Hindu vote bank just like in Mangalore belt in Karnataka state will be the only way forward for BJP in A.P. In short they need to do what Advani (when he had some credibility) did with Radhayathra in Indian politics. There is no one in AP BJP leaders doing such things. Venkayya Naidu ran away from AP and is happy being Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka and rest of the leaders are now regularly seen with KCR or with Gaddar playing their number two side hero role. With this kind of leaders at present BJP can not hope to become a major player in AP in near future.
