October will see Telangana be a major epicentre for intense political action with the main players in the state- the ruling BRS, BJP and Congress drawing up their campaign strategies and publicity blitzkrieg with many high profile visits lined up. Especially top BJP leaders, most importantly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah and also national party president JP Nadda will be queuing up to visit the state.
Poll authorities are expected to announce the schedule for Telangana assembly polls including four other states in the first week of October.
Bharatiya Janata Party
BJP has planned at least nine public meetings by Modi, Shah and Nadda in the next few days. Each of the leaders would address three meetings and they are planned in such a way that all the erstwhile combined districts of Telangana are covered.
Modi would be kickstarting the BJP's campaign on October 1. He will be in Telangana and will address a public meeting in Mahbubnagar and another one on October 3 in Nizamabad. In between he is going to inaugurate many development projects, majority of them related to Indian Railways.
On October 4, BJP has also planned a state executive meeting in which Nadda is likely to participate and provide a roadmap and direction to the party leaders. BJP leaders drawn from across Telangana will participate in the state executive meeting which is being seen as an important meeting in the poll bound Telangana.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi
Sources in the ruling BRS told DH that chief minister and party supremo K Chandrsekhar Rao is gearing to address at least 100 meetings starting October. Such 100 meetings in 50 days during 2018 polls had helped BRS to gain poll position over the opposition parties and romped back home. This time too there are high expectations from KCR's meetings. While KCR's son, IT and industries minister KT Rama Rao will oversee the party's campaign in north Telangana, another heavyweight leader and KCR's nephew, minister T Harish Rao will be in charge of party campaign in south Telangana. KCR had already fired the first salvo over other players by announcing the candidates list pending announcement for very few seats.
Congress
Sources in the Telangana Congress had told DH as soon as the process of candidates selection is completed bus yatra is being planned. Already the screening committee to select the candidates has been engaged in marathon meetings. 'Whether it's going to be two or three different batches/buses in different routes or a single bus that will cover and tour entire Telanagana, it is yet to be finalised. National leaders are expected to take part in the bus yatra,' a senior Congress leader said.
"Situation has almost reached a flashpoint in Telangana. Though BRS is confident of retaining power it is not taking it easy or lightly. Its leadership is giving importance to even small internal squabbles and quelling them. With the unpredictability of BJP's relationship with the party BRS is being cautious, especially when it is about the Kavitha issue so it is training all its guns and not taking any chances," political analyst Telakapalli Ravi told DH.
He added, "Similar is case with BJP. Congress too feels it has a fair chance in Telangana and is putting in all its energies and resources. It's definitely going to be interesting times ahead and will generate enough political heat in Telangana."