BJP's south push

Telangana will be the next big test

At least since its victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has worked to spread its reach and break the popular image of being a “north Indian” party. While the party has been fairly successful in the Northeast, it is now focusing on southern India. The nomination to the Rajya Sabha of people from four different southern states clearly underscores its ambitions. The Assembly elections are due in Karnataka in about 10 months, and in Telangana — where the BJP held its recent meeting of the party’s national executive — before the end of 2023.