BJP gears up to expand footprints in south India

New Delhi: After the NDA government came to power at the Centre in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party has seized power in various states including those in northeast India and now the party is trying to make inroads into southern states where, except Karnataka, it has not been considered as a major player and traditionally regional parties run the show.
Keeping up with its South India push, the BJP recently organised its national executive committee meeting in Hyderabad, the home turf of K Chandrashekar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which has won back-to-back Assembly elections in Telangana since its formation in 2014.
The BJP has intensified its “Mission South” with the nomination of four people from southern states– Iconic composer Ilaiyaraaja, celebrated athlete PT Usha, Indian philanthropist Veerendra Heggade and screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad Garu– and the election of Telangana BJP leader Dr K Laxman to the Rajya Sabha.
Also Read Congress accuses BJP of ‘bloodying’ country in garb of nationalism In an exclusive conversation with ANI today, Dr Laxman, who is currently the national president of BJP’s OBC Morcha, said several regional parties are in power in south India and but they are working only in the interest of their families.
“Recently, BJP nominated 4 renowned people from different regions to Rajya Sabha because the government wants the development of South India. BJP is paying attention to political developments in South India,” he said.
“Several regional parties are in power there. Regional parties are working only in the interest of their families. People are emotionally attached to their grassroots and supporting regional parties. They know that these regional parties are indulging in corruption. PM Modi wants the development of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana,” he added.