What Somu Should Learn From Bandi Sanjay?

The ultimate goal of BJP leaders in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is to rise to power overcoming all the hurdles. Though the leaders of both states have the same goal, the approach of Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay is quite different from that of AP BJP chief Somu Veerraju.

Sanjay, the party cadre says, knows how to mingle with the party functionaries and mould himself in different situations. The two elections he had faced after becoming the chief of the Telangana BJP state unit are that of Dubbaka and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

The credit for high-voltage campaign and aggressive electioneering in both the polls goes to Sanjay. It has to be accepted that the unprecedented victory in Dubbaka bypoll, though with a wafer-thin majority of 1,000 plus votes, is due to Sanjay’s leadership. In fact, the BJP leaders felt that Telangana sentiment would play a major role in the constituency but the BJP had registered victory. Similarly, in the GHMC polls too, the BJP had risen to 40 plus seats from the earlier 4 seat tally. These back-to-back successes have been possible not just because of the party grassroot-level workers but also the party chief.

He had shown tactics in cornering the ruling TRS by pointing out its shortcomings and raising people’s problems. He had been successful in raising voice on behalf of the BJP and established the party as the major opposition, which was evident not only during electioneering but also in the results.  In fact, the BJP filled in the void created by the TDP and Congress, which are facing existential threat.

With the results of GHMC polls out, now the focus has shifted to Andhra Pradesh. In this Telugu state too, BJP chief Somu Veerraju took up the reins of the party just a few months ago. However, he seems to be lacking the aggressive nature, in comparison with Sanjay, with regard to either criticising the ruling YCP or raising his voice.

Instead, Veerraju seems to going full throttle against the opposition TDP in Andhra Pradesh. He has also not been shrewd in campaigning for the BJP and carrying the party’s programmes closer to the people. There is talk that the AP BJP chief is failing to mingle with people of all social communities.

In such a situation, the party cadre says that the Tirupati bypolls likely to be held very soon would prove to be a challenge to Somu Veerraju. It is time Veerraju wakes up from his slumber and rises up to the situation.