BJP gearing up to contest local body elections in Andhra Pradesh

The BJP has announced to contest the ensuing local body elections in the State and directed its cadre to get into the election mode.

Having formed the heads for the party’s district-level units recently, State president P.V.N. Madhav on Thursday announced to form the mandal-level bodies soon to take the party to the grassroots and ensure the saffron flag fluttered high in each of the 14,000 villages.

At the State office-bearers’ meeting held here in the presence of Mr. Madhav, National co-organising general secretary Siva Prakash, Members of Parliament C.M. Ramesh and P.V. Satyanarayana, and MLC Somu Veerraju, it was decided to go ahead aggressively in expanding the party’s network.

The leaders appealed to the cadres to prepare for the local body elections in an apparent attempt to drive home the importance of capturing as many seats as possible.

Pointing to the manner in which the party had spread its tentacles to win as many local body seats across Telangana, Mr. Madhav wanted the State unit to replicate the same in Andhra Pradesh.

“The leaders and cadre should leave no stone unturned to ensure a resounding victory for the party in the local elections, for which we have to work with renewed commitment and enhanced focus on the ground situation,” he said.

The meeting took a serious note of the ill-effects of religious conversion through force or allurement, and its impact on society. The party workers were also told to act tough on instances of religious conversion and also report on those instigating or luring people to convert their religion.

‘Jagan’s frustration’

Mr. Madhav also flayed YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and said he was reeling under frustration and venting out his ire against the NDA regime’s development agenda. He also dubbed his flip-flop on the State’s capital as reflecting political immaturity.

“From support to Amaravati to three capitals, he has now come back to MAVIGUN, which is nothing but an overt attempt to stall development,” Mr. Madhav opined.