BJP to intensify ‘Operation akarsh’

PNS | Hyderabad

In view of the assurance given by Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that all sitting MLAs would be given tickets in the upcoming Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to intensify its ‘Operation akarsh’ for attracting a section of disgruntled TRS leaders.

The saffron party’s leaders want to cash in on the resentment likely to be caused among a section of ticket aspirants in TRS, considering that in every Assembly constituency, there are at least two to three ticket aspirants, including the sitting MLA.

Most of the non-MLA ticket aspirants had been banking on speculations in party circles that KCR might give tickets to ‘fresh faces’ in about 40 Assembly constituencies in line with the advice of political strategist Prashant Kishor.

The BJP had been trying to attract TRS sitting MLAs to weaken the TRS morally. There were speculations that some of the TRS MLAs, already “in touch with BJP”, might switch to the saffron party. It is now felt that KCR has made the assurance to sitting MLAs to foreclose BJP’s options.

So, KCR’s announcement has made only sitting MLAs happy, while leaving all the other ticket aspirants dissatisfied. So, the BJP is closely watching the situation.Given the negative fallout of the MLAs poaching case, the BJP wants to move gingerly in its mission to attract TRS leaders.At present, out of total 119 members in the Assembly, the TRS accounts for 104. Only in 15 constituencies, opposition parties have their MLAs, including seven of MIM, which is a friendly party of TRS.

The BJP has identified potential candidates in some constituencies. In several constituencies, where the party has no second-rung leaders, the BJP will try to field during the upcoming Assembly elections strong leaders drawn from other parties, particularly TRS. Hence, TRS is having a tough time protecting its flock, since there is no way in which all sitting MLAs as well as aspirants can be accommodated.At the end of the day, the BJP leadership is hopeful of inducing migration from other parties in the state through its ‘Operation akarsh’.