National Leaders Campaigning In Local Elections, BJP New Style ?

It is, perhaps, for the first time that municipal elections have gained national importance and a "do and die" poll battle for the saffron party. A host of BJP national leaders joined campaigning for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Union home minister Amit Shah, party president J.P. Nadda, Union minister Smriti Irani, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya are among national leaders who have campaigned aggressively for the party in municipal elections.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in Hyderabad on Saturday as part of a his “vaccine tour”. It added extra importance to the local polls. Its a new political trend.

Hyderabad, known as The City of Pearls, and once only global centre for trade of large diamonds, emeralds and natural pearls, will vote on Tuesday (December 1) for 150 seats of the GHMC (the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation).

Interestingly, the BJP has again pushed a anti- Muslim narrative. It termed TRS (Telegana ruling party headed bt chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR) as pro-Muslim community, ostensibly to polarize Hindu votes. As such BJP is in close contest with TRS outside the Muslim-majority old city. Asaduddin Owaisi's party AIMIM is seen to retain its base in old city.

Currently, the BJP holds only five of the GHMC’s 150 seats. Analysts says even if the BJP is able to win 20-30 seats in this poll, it will be a major victory for the party. It will open strong possibilities to force the cadre and leaders from other political parties, especially the Congress, to join the saffron party, t=There is enough space for them in the BJP.

It is said that never before the current poll, national leaders have campaigned for Hyderabad municipal polls. Last time, not even the chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had campaigned in the election.

So how is that saffron party has given such an importance to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation? Analysts say Telangana

has a huge potential for the BJP to expand its base in South India. BJP is seeing the Hyderabad MC polls as a gateway to South India, especially Tamil Nadu. It had conquered Karnataka and its next target is to conquer Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Saffron party see its future bright in both these states. BJP won 4 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 parliament elections and got 23.53% of polled votes. It fared better than Congress winning 3 seats with 17.64% votes.

In Tamil Nadu, after the demise of Jayaram Jayalalithaa, the founder of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the party is in shambles and is courting BJP for its survival to face the strong rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. As of now AIADMK is no match to DMK. As such, BJP feels it can fill the void created by the truncated AIADMK.

Moreover, saffron party is all out to tame Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Owaisi is an eye soar to BJP as he is the bitterest critics of Prime Minister, Modi and leaves no opportunity to slam saffron party leaders. After some success with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in Maharashtra assembly elections, Owaisi replicated it in Bihar and set to test it in UP.

It is with this agenda, home minister, Amit Shah, repeatedly targeted Owaisi. Saffron party see in him a bigger threat than Congress leaders. Everything is fair in love and war. It doesn't matter whether elections are local or national, A strong rival always remain a threat.

(Chander Sharma)