For the last 10 years, BJP failed to gain ground in Andhra Pradesh politics, though it was in close association with the ruling combinations in the state and unable to get a single `mass leader’ to reach out to the people. After former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, it was unable to get a single leader, who can take the party to the masses.
Moreover, all the leaders it has projected, giving them coveted positions in the party and also in the government, failed to strengthen the base of the party. In fact all of them weaken the party further and now it is known as a party of having less voters then NOTA.
Though Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has been allying with the BJP for the last six years, it failed to take up any joint political activity with him, so as to encash his popularity among people. Realizing that proximity with BJP weakened him further, he resisted pressures from the central leadership to contest together in the polls, forcing them to align with the TDP.
Now, BJP central leadership is said to be determined to contest all the seats in 2029 elections in alliance with Jana Sena, by continuing present alliance with TDP for the time being. In this regard, sources said that BJP is planning to depend upon two stalwarts to become politically relevant in the state.
Surprisingly, exactly 15 years ago the Congress high-command also tried with these two leaders to emerge itself as a major political force in the state. While it motivated Chiranjeevi to merge his Praja Rajyam with Congress and elevated him as the Union Minister of State, by sending him to the Rajya Sabha, it made N Kiran Kumar Reddy as the Chief Minister.
But, these two leaders failed to save Congress party in the present Andhra Pradesh, moreover buried the party in the state and themselves practically left the party by 2014 polls. While Kiran Kumar Reddy started his own regional party and failed to win a single seat, Chiranjeevi practically quit from the political scene.
Now, again BJP said to be proposing to send one among these two leaders to the Rajya Sabha and also another to head the party in the state. BJP sources are expecting that Kiran Kumar Reddy name is under active consideration to make him chief of the AP BJP and Chiranjeevi likely to be given Rajya Sabha chance.
The Rajya Sabha seat is vacant with the resignation of YCP MP VIjayasai Reddy. BJP is reportedly considering sending Chinrajeevi from this vacancy to the Rajya Sabha as Jana Sena candidate. Already BJP leaders in the state themselves are worrying that their central party plans are being proved as counter-productive every-time.
Recent induction of BC leader R Krishnaiah to the Rajya Sabha failed to give any mileage to the party in both Telugu states. Congress had already burned its fingares by elevating these two leaders and from 2014 it failed to win a single seat from the state.
