BJP’s Telangana chief and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddyddressing the media at BJP State Office, Nampally in Hyderabad. File photo
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
There is an air of expectancy in the BJP, with the exit polls showing favourable results for the party. The thinking is that if the party manages to get double digits of 10 or more seats out of the 17 constituencies in Telangana, there will be grand gala celebrations with bookings already made for fire crackers, according to party sources on Monday.
All the top leaders including State party chief and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman and others are to reach the party office in the morning itself to follow the counting trends on the news television channels. Mr. Kishan Reddy, who has been missing in action for the last few days, will be first worshipping at the Bhagyalakshmi temple (Charminar) before reaching the party office in Nampally.
The party is putting up a giant screen in the press conference room with the official spokespersons to be present ready to give a byte or two to the channels. While most of the stalwarts of the old guard as well as turncoats from other parties are hoping to win big with the purported ‘Modi wave’ here, the talk is also about the probable ministerial berths. Party grapevine says everyone, from the established seniors to the newcomers and more latest turncoats, are expecting to be included into the Central Cabinet. Mr. Kishan Reddy has been the only minister from Telangana in the last term though there was some buzz of national general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar also being inducted, it did not happen.
If Mr. Kishan Reddy is going to win on Tuesday and if NDA gets the majority, it is likely that he will be the first choice in the ministry. Will there be a chance for a second person – whether a BC will be given a chance or will it be a woman? That’s the debate which is going on. Rajya Sabha MP and national OBC morcha president K. Laxman’s name is also being mentioned in this list of the probables.
In case, the party chief does not make it and the NDA still wins at the Centre, the field will become more open with more hopefuls expecting the call from the high command. The party leadership post is another coveted post which is likely to be dangled in the next few days.
