BJP’s plan to capture over 10 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana looks a distant dream

Though the BJP has set an ambitious target of winning over 10 seats in Telangana in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, the party’s current situation in various Parliamentary segments in the State makes it appear difficult for the saffron party even to retain its four sitting seats.

The BJP in the State is purely banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ram Temple construction to win the Lok Sabha polls, whereas if one goes through the situation prevailing in each Lok Sabha constituency, the chances of the BJP look very bleak as in majority of them, either the BRS or the Congress have a better presence. Take the case of Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by BJP MP Bandi Sanjay. Of the seven assembly constituencies falling under it, four are with Congress and three are with the BRS. In fact, Bandi lost the Karimnagar assembly election by a huge margin and the chances of him retaining the seat looks bleak due to internal feuds and the strong position of the opposition parties.

Even the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, represented by union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, does not look safe for the BJP as of the seven assembly seats, six are with BRS and one is with the AIMIM. The BRS and the Congress would make an all out effort to snatch the seat from BJP.

Similarly, the BJP may find it difficult to retain the Nizamabad seat represented by Dharmapuri Arvind, as the BRS and the ruling Congress would try to win the seat at any cost. Though the BJP managed to win four assembly constituencies in the Adilabad Lok Sabha, BJP MP Soyam Bapu Rao, who is facing serious corruption charges and opposition from his own party leaders, chances of retaining the seat looks very



bleak.

The BJP has very high hopes on the Malkajgiri seat and if party sources have to be believed, it is the most sought after seat among the party leaders. BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, former MLA Eatala Rajender, former MLC N Ramachandra Rao and several senior leaders are lobbying for the ticket.

On the other hand, the Congress would be making all out effort to retain the seat vacated by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The Congress is reportedly planning to field former MLA Mynampally Hanumantha Rao, who has a strong presence in the constituency, from the seat. Even BRS, which has captured all the seven assembly seats of the constituency, would make efforts to capture the seat at any cost to send a strong message to both BJP and Congress that it still has strong support of the people of the State.

Such a situation is prevailing in almost all the Lok Sabha constituencies in the State. Meanwhile, the BJP leaders are spreading narratives that the people during the assembly polls have promised to vote for them in the Lok Sabha polls. The party is trying to create such an impression as if the people of Telangana have decided to vote for them in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and that it would be a cake walk for them. In fact, Kishan Reddy is claiming that his party would get 14 to 15 seats.

“After Ram Temple’s inauguration in Ayodhya, there will be a complete BJP wave in Telangana,” he recently told the media.

The BJP during the assembly election too claimed that it would win over 30 seats and play the role of a kingmaker, but it could not reach even double digits. In fact, the BJP, which has some amount of presence in Greater Hyderabad, could win just one seat out of 24.