The BJP is concerned over reports K Chandrashekar Rao may prefer an early election in Telangana
The BJP's top leaders will hold high-intensity rallies for the next one month in all the 119 assembly constituencies in Telangana, where election is due later this year. The party decided on this battle plan after top leaders met at BJP chief JP Nadda's home today.
The BJP is concerned over reports that their rival and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, or KCR, may prefer an early election before the BJP can prepare their ground to fight KCR's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
The BJP has named its new Telangana campaign "Praja Gosa, BJP Bharosa". Apart from the rallies at the 119 assembly seats, the BJP's senior central leaders including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani will hold at least 10 big rallies across Telangana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the closing rally after a month in Hyderabad.
During the campaign, the BJP will highlight alleged link in the Delhi liquor policy case with people connected to KCR's daughter K Kavitha, who is also a BRS leader.
Recently, the CBI arrested Butchibabu Gorantla, a former chartered accountant of Ms Kavitha, for alleged corruption in framing the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy with the Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday.
KCR condemned Mr Sisodia's arrest, saying it was an "attempt to divert people's attention from the Prime Minister and Adani nexus."
A BJP leader claimed Ms Kavitha would likely be arrested next. "There is a possibility of some more arrests in the liquor scam. Kavitha will also be arrested soon," Telangana BJP leader Vivek told news agency PTI yesterday.
The BJP will review its campaign to hold 11,000 street meetings across Telangana by today, sources said.
Some of the BJP leaders who are attending the meeting include Amit Shah, Sunil Bansal, G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, among others.
The BJP has been gathering its forces outside KCR's citadel since the last assembly election and is hoping to gain a foothold in the southern state.
The assembly election this year and the national election next year will show if BJP's campaign, mostly riding on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, can work in Telangana, where regional affiliations are strong.