 "Amit Shah")
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asked Telangana's BJP leaders to be ready for the state Assembly elections whenever they are held, and work hard to bring the party to power.
The state BJP leaders led by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy called on Amit Shah in Delhi.
Shah has directed the BJP leadership to educate people about the corruption indulged in the by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government.
The senior BJP leader reviewed the political situation in the state and gave directions to the state leadership to achieve the goal of bringing the BJP to power.
State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BJP national vice president D.K. Aruna, former minister Eatala Rajender, MP D. Aravind, former MPs Vijay Shanti, G. Mohan Rao, Jitender Reddy and others attended the meeting with Shah.
The meeting is likely to give a boost to BJP's efforts to focus on Telangana ahead of Assembly elections in 2023. Shah, however, asked the BJP leaders to be prepared even if the TRS goes for early polls.
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The Union Minister asked the state BJP leadership to expose the rice scam and other corruption by the TRS government and suggested that they demand a probe into the same.
Shah also wanted the BJP leaders to effectively counter the allegations being made by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao against the BJP. The Central minister wanted the BJP leaders to prepare an action plan to expose the TRS over the issue of paddy procurement.
The meeting was held a day after the TRS organised state-wide protests against the Centre over 'anti-farmer' policies. The protesters set afire the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union ministers.
The meeting also discussed the strategy to counter the allegations by TRS against the Central government over the procurement of paddy.
Stating that the government and party are different, Shah said the party should carry on its activities irrespective of the relations between the state and the Central governments.
The Union Minister also suggested to the party leaders to chalk out programmes to remain in the midst of the people. Referring to the first phase of Bandi Sanjay's 'praja sangrama yatra', he advised him to work out plans to launch the second phase.
After the meeting, Sanjay said they briefed Shah on bad governance, family rule and the attempts by the TRS government to crush dissent by foisting cases against BJP leaders.
Amit Shah also congratulated Eatala Rajender over his victory in the recent by-election to Huzurabad Assembly seat. Rajender had quit TRS and joined BJP after KCR dropped him from the state Cabinet following the allegations of land encroachment.
Shah told BJP leaders that he will visit Telangana for two days after the current Parliament session and will address a few public meetings.
State BJP leaders claim that following its victories in the by-election to Dubbak Assembly seat last year and the recent win in Huzurabad, BJP has emerged as the only viable alternative to TRS.
--IANS
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