A day after setting “Mission 70” as goal for the BJP in Telangana, the party national president Amit Shah on Friday clarified that its plans to grow in Andhra Pradesh will not be at the cost of its ally TDP.
After a meeting with the party’s AP office-bearers in Vijayawada on Friday, Amit Shah told the media that BJP’s plans to grow were not aimed at the TDP. “We will work together with the TDP for the development of the country,” he said. Shah said that the people had supported the TDP-BJP alliance and it will continue in future. His remarks assume significance in the backdrop of statements of other BJP leaders that the BJP will contest all future elections in the State alone to grow independently.
The BJP is a partner in the TDP-led Government in Andhra Pradesh and has two Ministers in the State. The TDP on the other hand is a partner in the BJP-led coalition Government at the Centre. Amit Shah set a target of enrolling 35 lakh party members in Telangana and 45 lakh members in Andhra Pradesh before the end of March. While meeting the office-bearers of Telangana BJP in Hyderabad on Thursday, Shah had laid emphasis on strengthening the party to the extent that it comes to power in 2019 by wining 70 of 119 Assembly seats.
Replying to a question, Shah said that the Centre would extend every possible help to Andhra Pradesh in the light of the bifurcation of the State. “All the commitments made in the AP State Reorganisation Act will be fulfilled”, he said. The Central Government was doing exercise on giving special status to Andhra Pradesh, he added.Shah said that the process of land acquisition was being simplified by the Centre and it will be helpful in building the new capital of AP.
When asked about admitting the leaders of other parties into the BJP, Shah said that the party’s doors were open to all those who believe in its policies. “We will invite all such people to join”. He denied that the BJP was coming in the way of former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy joining the BJP. Shah said that the BJP was trying to grow in all the States and carry forward the message of development.
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who belongs to Andhra Pradesh, also spoke at the Press conference and exuded confidence that Narendar Modi — Amit Shah leadership will repeat the spectacular performance of the party in Delhi Assembly elections. He praised Amit Shah’s leadership by pointing out that he had a key role in the BJP winning 70 lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. Officer-bearers meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State Nirmala Sitharaman, AP BJP president K Hari Babu, MP Gokaraju Ganga Raju, and AP Ministers of BJP K Srinivas and Manikya Rao.