Take local body polls seriously, BJP top brass tells Telangana unit; issues directive

HYDERABAD: In a significant strategic shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Telangana unit has been instructed by its central leadership to treat upcoming local body elections with greater seriousness-breaking away from the common pattern of focusing solely on assembly and parliamentary polls.

At a recent preparatory meeting, the BJP central leadership made it clear that the party must not remain passive in the local polls, which often go uncontested by opposition parties, especially in southern states. "It is essential to approach these elections with urgency and commitment," a senior leader who attended the meeting told TOI. Party affairs in-charge Sunil Bansal pointed out that in several states, BJP's grassroots victories laid the foundation for later success in assembly and general elections.

The leadership observed that MPs and MLAs often show minimal involvement in local elections. This time, however, they were directed to take full ownership of their constituencies and work toward winning local bodies to consolidate the party's presence at the grassroots. "A clear directive was issued-deliver local body victories in your own constituencies," a source said.Though the BJP has had limited success in local body polls so far, the party has now strengthened its base, forming committees across almost all mandals in both rural and urban areas-except for 11 mandals. Leaders believe this groundwork is crucial for electoral breakthroughs.