Telangana BJP has big plans for 2019 elections

Hyderabad: The BJP in Telangana will aim at winning a minimum number of 60 seats in the state legislative assembly in the 2019 elections, the party declared here on Saturday. The Telangana Assembly has 119 seats and in the present House, the BJP has five members.

Addressing the first BJP state executive meeting after assuming charge as the president of Telangana unit of the party, senior party legislator Dr K Laxman said the target was clear for party workers. The BJP, Laxman said, has all the potential to become an alternative to the TRS as other parties are fast disappearing in the state. He appealed to the party workers to reach out to the villages with the slogan "Prathi pallelo BJP Janda- Telangana Assemblylo mana Agenda" (BJP flag in every village and BJP agenda in Telangana Assembly).

Laxman said in the time from now to the next elections, the BJP must hold the government accountable on failure to implement promises made to the people and its apparent reluctance to govern the state and instead focus only on strengthening of the ruling party. The TRS failed completely, be it with regard to filling up of one lakh vacancies in the government, distributiong of three acres for Dalit families, 12% reservation for STs and introduction of KG to PG free education.

He also said that the TRS government was making false claims as the top state in implementing welfare measures. "In fact, Telangana stands 10th in the country in implementation of welfare schemes as per a recent Reserve Bank of India report," he added.

Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, in a brief address, called on the party to replicate the Goa model in Telangana. In Goa, the BJP was a minor party for a very long time. But they worked hard first to become the principal opposition party. Parrikar said becoming principal opposition party is crucial to attract public attention and eventually to build their confidence. He promised to support Telangana BJP in all possible ways to become stronger in Telangana.