TARGET TELANGANA

Modi-Shah duo set sight on Congress turf

The party is also assessing whether alliance models similar to Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP works alongside the Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena, can be replicated in Telangana

Mahesh Avadhutha I hyderabad

As the Bharatiya Janata Party sharpens its expansion plans in southern India, Telangana has emerged as the next major political frontier for the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah combine. After consolidating power across much of northern, western and central India and making breakthroughs in eastern states like West Bengal, the BJP is now setting its sights firmly on Hyderabad and the wider Telangana landscape.

The party’s internal messaging is increasingly revolving around what leaders are informally calling “Target Telangana 2028”, a long term strategy aimed at positioning the BJP as the principal challenger to the ruling Congress government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in the next Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Telangana on May 10 is being viewed within party circles not merely as an official tour, but as the symbolic launch pad for an aggressive political campaign that could dominate the state’s politics over the next two and a half years.

The BJP leadership believes Telangana presents a unique political opportunity. Karnataka remains the party’s only major southern stronghold, but Telangana has shown signs of becoming fertile ground for saffron expansion. The party’s improved performance in the last Lok Sabha elections, MLC polls and local body elections has encouraged the national leadership to invest heavily in the state unit.

The seriousness of the BJP High Command’s focus on Telangana was reflected in an anecdote narrated by state BJP president N Ramchander Rao. While he was at Tirumala temple on his birthday last month, he reportedly missed calls from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was busy campaigning in West Bengal. When Ramchander Rao called back, Shah personally wished him birthday greetings and reportedly told him, “Main Aaraha Hoon Ramchander ji.” For Telangana BJP leaders, the gesture signalled the level of attention the central leadership is prepared to devote to the state henceforth.

Amit Shah’s role in expanding the BJP into politically difficult territories such as West Bengal is frequently cited by party leaders as proof that the Modi-Shah combination can engineer breakthroughs even in states where the BJP historically had weak roots. Telangana, they believe, could become the next example of that strategy.

The May 10 visit by Modi is therefore loaded with political significance. The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development works worth more than Rs 7,000 crore. The official event will be held at HICC in Madhapur, where Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and state ministers are also expected to attend. Modi will later travel to Parade Grounds in Secunderabad to address a large public meeting titled “Jana Agraha Sabha,” designed to energise BJP cadres across the state.  The state BJP is mobilizing a crowd in excess of 1 lakh for the meeting.

Interestingly, Telangana BJP leaders are also trying to draw a contrast between Modi’s visit and the Congress government’s functioning in Telangana. They argue that unlike the ruling dispensation, which often combines official government functions with public meetings and political speeches at the same venue, the BJP is consciously separating governance events from partisan mobilisation. This, they claim, prevents the politicization of official programmes.

At the same time, the BJP faces several strategic challenges in Telangana. One major question concerns its relationship with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi led by K Chandrashekar Rao. Political speculation about a possible BJP- BRS understanding has intensified in recent months, particularly as both parties seek to corner the Congress government. However, Telangana BJP leaders insist they have received a clear message from the High Command that the party will contest the next Assembly elections independently. While leaders publicly rule out any pre poll alliance, they remain cautious about commenting on post poll possibilities.

The party is also assessing whether alliance models similar to Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP works alongside the Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena, can be replicated in Telangana. State BJP leaders appear skeptical, privately acknowledging that Telangana’s political dynamics are very different and that a similar coalition formula may not produce electoral gains.

Another emerging battleground is developmental politics. Telangana Congress leaders have renewed demands for national project status for the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. BJP MP D K Aruna has strongly criticised the demand, accusing the Congress of politicising the issue and arguing that the project itself had been “re engineered” under previous governments for political considerations. Telangana BJP never made any electoral promise in that regard, she pointed out.

For the BJP, the Telangana mission represents more than just another state election. Success here would significantly strengthen the party’s southern footprint and reinforce Modi’s national dominance ahead of future parliamentary battles. For the Congress government under Revanth Reddy, the challenge will be to prevent Telangana from becoming another state where the BJP gradually transforms from a marginal player into the principal pole of politics.

With Modi’s visit set to energise the cadre and Amit Shah expected to make repeated interventions in the coming months, Telangana is poised to witness an intense political contest long before the formal election campaign begins.