Buoyed by West Bengal win & Modi's visit, BJP turns its sights to Hyderabad municipal polls

The BJP has moved faster than any other party in Telangana to begin preparations for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.

Hyderabad: Fresh from its landmark victory in West Bengal and energised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile visit to Hyderabad recently, the BJP has moved faster than any other party in Telangana to begin preparations for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections expected to be held in a few months from now.

The GHMC region, spanning nearly 35 assembly segments, is considered a critical battleground for any party seeking a meaningful foothold in Telangana politics. It was the BJP's impressive ward-level showing in the 2020 GHMC polls that helped the party build momentum that translated into assembly seat wins in 2023 and, a year later, nearly half of Telangana's 17 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections. With the 2028 assembly polls on the horizon, the BJP views GHMC as the crucial next step.

On Tuesday, Telangana BJP State President N Ramchander Rao chaired a significant meeting of Division Presidents and senior party leaders from within the GHMC limits. He stressed the importance of booth-level discipline, unity, and organisational focus as the party gears up for elections expected in September or October this year.

"Following the GHMC delimitation process, the number of wards has increased to 300, with reports suggesting a further expansion to 350. BJP must be fully prepared," Rao told party workers. He reminded them that in 2020, the party had won 48 seats independently — against the combined might of the then-TRS and MIM — a performance that reflected growing public confidence in the BJP among Hyderabad's voters.

Rao made clear that the party's candidate selection process would be strictly merit-based, with ground activity, public acceptability, and winnability serving as the key criteria. Internal groupism and factionalism, he warned, would not be tolerated. He also revealed that the BJP's central leadership is closely monitoring ward-level developments, with booth committees being systematically strengthened across the corporation area.

Drawing a direct parallel with Bengal, Rao said Telangana BJP must replicate the same discipline and organisational rigour that delivered victory in the eastern state. He also credited Modi's recent public meeting in Hyderabad described as a massive success with generating fresh enthusiasm among voters and party workers alike.

On the broader political landscape, Rao expressed confidence that the BRS has been all but erased from public consciousness, with hundreds of its leaders said to be in active contact with the BJP seeking to switch sides.

Modi's nearly six-hour visit to Hyderabad few days ago added a further political dimension. Alongside personal calls on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, the GHMC elections were understood to be a central topic of discussion. Naidu commands strong support among Greater Hyderabad's estimated one crore settlers from Andhra Pradesh, as well as the city's influential IT professional community a constituency the BJP is now actively seeking to consolidate. Pawan Kalyan, meanwhile, carries considerable sway among the region's youth.

In the 2023 assembly elections, both the BJP and Congress drew a blank within the GHMC area, with BRS sweeping Hyderabad's urban core. Breaking that stranglehold has now become the BJP's defining objective and the party is leaving little to chance.