The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leadership is strategizing over organisational issues as the party aims to unify and mobilise its ranks in upcoming election states like Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, where internal divisions have surfaced. In addition, the party’s agenda includes the expansion of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has seen a gradual decline in recent years as traditional BJP allies such as Janata Dal (United) and Akali Dal have departed from the alliance.
Speculation about the restoration of ties with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which left the NDA in 2018, has risen following a recent meeting between TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and Home Minister Amit Shah. The idea of an “expanded” NDA is in the works, according to a BJP leader. However, whether the BJP will formally align with the TDP is uncertain, given its positive relationship with the state’s Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy. Any alliance with TDP could drive Reddy’s YSR Congress into opposition, a decision that BJP top leaders will consider.
While the BJP is preparing to retain power at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, immediate attention is also directed towards upcoming state elections, especially following its defeat in Karnataka to the Congress party. Assembly elections are also slated in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh this year, both currently ruled by Congress.
In Madhya Pradesh, where BJP president V D Sharma’s term has completed, the party’s organisation is reportedly not in its best shape, amid his somewhat strained relations with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. With a revitalized Congress aiming for power in the state, the BJP leadership may implement some changes, according to sources.
In Telangana, the BJP’s increasing influence has faced recent obstacles, with local leaders expressing dissatisfaction with state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s leadership. The Congress party’s victory in Karnataka has spurred its efforts to expand in Telangana, increasing concerns for the BJP as the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi strives to maintain power.
In a series of marathon meetings on Monday and Tuesday, Home Minister Shah, BJP president J P Nadda, and the party’s national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh discussed various organizational matters. There has been no official communication about the meetings’ agenda.