KCR govt is weak, may not last long: Shah
HYDERABAD: Eight lakh new members in the Telangana State isn't impressive enough for BJP national president Amit Shah. As the state leadership placed the figures of its membership drive before him here Thursday, Amit Shah made his disappointment clear and was annoyed that it had failed to launch the mobile membership programme.
The Gujarat strongman is keen on the mobile membership drive as it means the party can be in constant touch with all the members. However, to his dismay, he found the drive is yet to take off in Telangana.
Sources in the BJP said Amit Shah, during a review meeting with the State party leaders in the evening directed them to step it up and launch the mobile drive from Jan 12.
The programme is already in full swing in several states. When some leaders came up with the excuse that the poor in rural areas do not have mobiles, the party chief reportedly quipped, 'It doesn't matter. You can still target and enrol 35 lakh new members.'
On the KCR government in Telangana, the BJP chief observed that 'it is running on a weak foundation' and felt the BJP can 'fill in the vacuum' as the other political parties like the Congress and the TDP are unable to expand base in the State.
Hence, his stress on membership drive. Earlier in the day, Amit Shah held a core committee meeting and brainstormed with the party's district presidents, general secretaries and morcha presidents.
It is learnt that party leader, Ashok Yadav, complained to him about the lack of proper recognition to BCs in the party. 'Is there a single BC leader sitting on the dais?' he reportedly questioned. Besides Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Dr K Laxman, only a few BC leaders were present when the issue was raised.
The issue of alliance with the TDP also came up for discussion. The party's State leaders reportedly termed the alliance a liability. Amit Shah gave them a patient hearing for nearly 90 minutes but didn't specify the future roadmap vis-a-vis the TDP.
Amit Shah directed the party leaders to stick to the basics, meaning they should enrol members from the booth level. 'We should have members from panchayat to Parliament,' he stressed. Shah, who wound up his tour of Telangana, left for Vijayawada in the evening to attend similar meetings there.
News Posted: 8 January, 2015
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