After back-to-back wins in northern states, BJP eyes South, sets agenda for Telangana polls

BUoyed by a string along of electoral victories in Bihar, w Bengal, Assam, new delhi and other states, the Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) is at present turning its attention to the South, with Telangana emerging as its next major political battleground.Setting the tone, BJP National President Nitin Nabin urged party workers to prepare for the upcoming municipal corporation elections in the state, saying politics should be guided by service rather than the pursuit of power, according to a report by news agency ANI.He called on the cadre to work towards bringing the BJP to power in Telangana.With both Telangana and Karnataka set to vote in Assembly elections in 2028, the BJP is looking to strengthen its organisational base across the South.Also Read | South remains elusive for BJP despite big gains in other states. What data shows‘Centre for public service': BJP's narrative for TelanganaAddressing the inauguration of nine newly established BJP district offices across Telangana, Nabin said the offices would function as centres of organisation and public service.Describing them as "Sankalp Kendras" (Centres of Resolve) and "Seva Kendras" (Service Centres), he said they embodied the BJP's guiding principle of "Nation First, Party Next, Self Last."The BJP simultaneously inaugurated district offices in Rangareddy Rural, Adilabad, Asifabad, Nirmal, Kamareddy, Siddipet, Medak, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool, calling it a record achievement completed in a single day.Also Read | Cross-voting by 11 MLAs, big Congress win: Karnataka MLC polls expose NDA cracks; BJP says 'no forgiveness'BJP's Karnataka pushNabin's Telangana push comes even as the BJP leadership is grappling with political turbulence in neighbouring Karnataka.After the Congress won five of the seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats, aided by cross-voting from BJP and JD(S) legislators, the BJP chief summoned Karnataka state president BY Vijayendra to explain the episode.Vijayendra acknowledged that cross-voting had taken place and warned of strict action against those responsible.HT earlier reported, at least 11 legislators of the alliance cross-voted, which ended up in a surprise win for the Congress in the fifth seat, giving the ruling party a majority in the 75-member Upper House.'Aspirations of people yet to be fulfilled': Nabin on TelanganaPaying tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the martyrs of the Telangana movement and late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, Nabin said the aspirations of those who sacrificed for Telangana were yet to be fully realised and asserted that it was the BJP's responsibility to fulfil them.Rejecting the criticism that the BJP was an "outsider" party, Nabin said that when the party had only two Members of Parliament in 1984, one of them was elected from Telangana. He also paid tribute to party workers who, he said, had strengthened the BJP in the state through years of struggle.Against ‘opportunistic politics’Stepping up his attack on the Congress and regional parties, Nabin alleged that they practised opportunistic politics and treated governance as a means to enjoy power. Calling the Congress government in Telangana a failure, he urged BJP workers to intensify their public outreach by reaching every village and street.Drawing a comparison with West Bengal, he expressed confidence that Telangana would also witness political change.Also Read | Opinion | The delimitation debate South India deserves: Facts over fear140 crore Indians move forward: Nabin on PM ModiPraising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Nabin said all 140 crore Indians were moving forward together under his governance and that the Modi government was realising the vision of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat."He said Telangana should play an active role in India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and asserted that while the Centre remained committed to the state's development through central funding, its full potential could be realised only under a "double-engine government."BJP Telangana president N Ramchander Rao, National General Secretary and state in-charge Sunil Bansal, state in-charge Abhay Patil, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Chandrasekhar Tiwari, Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, Raj Bhoopal Goud and other party leaders attended the event.