BJP’s southern dream falls in place

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 23

BJP’s southern dream now appears to be falling in place. While the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, rediscovered faith in alliance with the saffron party after the recent Dubakka win, the party is also sensing fresh hope in uncharted regions, especially in Telangana and Andhra.

While in Telangana the BJP election machine has turned a local bodies’ election — the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls — into a national event replete with saffron verbosity and star campaigners, in Tamil Nadu, reports are suggesting favourable vibes from elusive superstar Rajinikanth after Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit.

Shah’s Tamil Nadu visit is being seen as a major success by the BJP and its reinforced ally AIADMK. Though Shah’s message to senior leaders was clear that the party should build and expand on its own merits and not be dependent on celebrities and outsiders etc, sources say the megastar has conveyed his “feelings” to Shah via RSS ideologue S Gurumuruthy, who had met him recently.

Likewise, MK Alagiri, son of late chief minister M Karunanidhi, who also sent his “intent of support” via KP Ramalingam, an ousted DMK leader who joined the BJP.

Notably, Dubakka has given the BJP much to hope in Telangana and also neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where the party fared rather poorly in the last elections. Considered a bastion of KCR family, Dubakka is close to Gajwel, which is represented by Chief Minister KCR, Sircilla, his son KT Rama Rao’s constituency, and Siddipet, his nephew T Harish Rao’s seat.