Telangana: Missed opportunity for BJP as netas lean towards Congress

HYDERABAD: The state BJP unit is silently worried after clear indication that former BRS MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and ex-minister Jupally Krishna Rao are going to join the Congress.
Many in the party believe that it is a missed opportunity for the BJP which was hoping to gain momentum after losing to BRS in Munugode bypoll and Congress in Karnataka assembly elections.
The state unit is upset as its efforts did not yield any result since the leaders gravitated towards the Congress as it appeared to be more amenable to their poll ambitions.The BJP high command, however, had been very clear that there would be no assurances to any candidate wanting to join the party, which eventually turned these leaders away from the saffron party.
In the case of Srinivas Reddy, sources said he continued his dialogue not only with BJP joining committee chairman Eatala Rajender but also with other top leaders. With one set of leaders he expressed concern that the Left influence in Khammam may go against him and leaders supporting him if he joined the BJP. The message he sent out was that he did not have serious issues with the saffron party but his followers feared losing the election. BJP leaders also said that Ponguleti was of the view that the party did not have a strong chance in the state.
As far as former minister Jupally Krishna Rao was concerned, BJP leaders were almost sure from the start that he would eventually join the Congress. Hence, there were no major parleys to bring him into the saffron fold.
“He was expecting to contest from his Kollapur assembly segment but BJP has its own candidate for the seat. With no assurance from us, we knew he would not prefer to join us,” a source said.
The state unit is also concerned about the various surveys that are being circulated in which the BJP’s graph appears to be falling.
“But before the elections the equations may change. For now, the various surveys undertaken by different leaders and agencies are not very encouraging. We will wait for the momentum to pick up again,” said a senior leader.