PM Modi to address BJP campaign rally in Telangana today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a BJP election campaign meeting at Mahabubnagar in Telangana on March 29, state BJP president K Laxman said Wednesday. "Prime Minister ji will address a public meeting at Palamuru (Mahabubnagar) on 29th, day after tomorrow. Public meeting at LB stadium in Hyderabad on 1st (of April)," Laxman told reporters in Hyderabad.

BJP Chief Amit Shah will address two public meetings on April 4 and participate in road shows at Nalgonda and Hyderabad on April 6, he said. Several other Union Ministers and national leaders would also visit the state for campaigning, he said.

Laxman hit out at comments of the ruling TRS that BJP would not get more than 150 seats in the Lok Sabha polls and that TRS can play a crucial role post polls if its wins 16 Lok Sabha seats in the state. TRS is only one among many regional parties, Laxman said. "Even if you win 16 seats, you cannot become Prime Minister," he said.

Laxman alleged that TRS came to power after December 7, 2018, Assembly elections by projecting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu (whose TDP tied up with Congress and others in the Assembly polls) as an object of fear.

TRS already had 15 MPs on its side in the outgoing Lok Sabha but could not achieve anything substantial, he said, adding that the party had failed to implement its election promises like double bedroom houses for the poor. He asserted that the BJP would come to power after the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP was increasingly seen by people as an alternative, he said and claimed that major changes would take place in Telangana after Lok Sabha elections. Referring to the defeat of TRS-backed candidates in the polls held for three constituencies in the Legislative Council, Laxman said a similar performance would be witnessed in the Lok Sabha elections.

Laxman was speaking at an event where the inputs for the party's manifesto, prepared by state party leaders after interaction with various sections of people in the state, was presented to him.

BJP is going it alone in Telangana. Polling would be held in Telangana in the first phase on April 11 while the counting of votes will be taken up on May 23.