The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not bound by any coalition dharma in the States where it is sharing power with regional parties, when it comes to fight for people’s cause, BJP national general secretary P. Muralidhara Rao said here on Wednesday.
“The BJP will continue to raise voice on people’s woes even in the States, where it is sharing power. We are not bound by any coalition dharma and we have instructed the party units to take up the issues of public importance,” Mr. Muralidhara Rao told the media here, on the sidelines of a meting of the party district unit, marking the completion of one-year rule of the NDA government at the Centre.
His comments assume significance as the BJP is planning to make inroads into the Southern States including AP, despite being on a sticky wicket in the State over the special status issue. There has also been dissident voices raising the pitch for strengthening the party in AP, severing ties with TDP and finally go all alone in the 2019 general elections.
Mr. Rao said that the party had been aiming at filling the gap left by the rout of the Congress in the Southern States, hinting at strengthening of the cadres at the grassroots level.
Rubbishing the Congress allegations that the NDA government was adopting ‘anti-farmer policies, Mr. Rao said that it was during the Congress rule, more than three lakh farmers had committed suicide.
Later addressing a seminar on ‘Nationalist politics in Telugu States- Opportunities and challenges’ organised by National Forum of Thinkers (Samalochana) in Vijayawada, Mr. Rao said that the differences between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would not last long as they had many things in common.
However, he refrained from commenting on the State bifurcation. He said that it was for historic reasons that the united AP was bifurcated and the new States should not be bogged down by the fallout of separation.
“They (Telugus) are a vibrant society that none can afford to ignore them. Now both AP and Telangana are expected to forget the bitter past and make a new beginning, ” he observed.
The BJP will continue to raise voice on people’s woes even in the States, where it is sharing power.
P. Muralidhara Rao,BJP national general secretary
