After winning the four MP seats of Adilabad, Nizamabad and Karimnagar in the North Telangana heartland, the BJP is now focusing on the coal belt, which again is part of the north Telangana and accounts for nearly 11 assembly seats. Spread in six districts of Asifabad, Mancheriyal, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam.
BJP realises that the TRS had lost in eight of the 11 seats in the coal belt area. It managed to win only Mancherial, Bellampalli and Chennur seats. It is another matter that the winning Congressmen joined the TRS later. So, the BJP feels that the voters in the coal belt are strongly opposed to the TRS. Hence there is an opportunity for the BJP to grow in this region..
So, as a first step, the BJP has asked Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy to focus on the coal belt. Accordingly, he has begun meeting leaders from the BJP, its affiliates and other parties. He is trying to woo the leaders from other parties and organisations. Another Union Minister Sadananda Gowda toured the coal belt recently. Both have also addressed a meeting on Article 370 in the coal belt. Also, they managed to get senior trade unionist with great influence Kengara Mallaiah into the BJP affiliate trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.
All this has left the TRS very worried. It knows that it is on a sticky wicket and knows that it could not win the majority seats in the coal belt. So, it is now trying to woo the voters in this region through various means and strategies. So, the coal belt could be the next big battle field for the political parties in Telangana. It has already sent Senior TDP leaders Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Diwakar Rao, Koruganti Chandar, Vanama Venkateswhwara Rao, Koppula Eswar and others are now holding meetings with the coal mine voters to ensure that they do not go the BJP way.
BJP realises that the TRS had lost in eight of the 11 seats in the coal belt area. It managed to win only Mancherial, Bellampalli and Chennur seats. It is another matter that the winning Congressmen joined the TRS later. So, the BJP feels that the voters in the coal belt are strongly opposed to the TRS. Hence there is an opportunity for the BJP to grow in this region..
So, as a first step, the BJP has asked Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy to focus on the coal belt. Accordingly, he has begun meeting leaders from the BJP, its affiliates and other parties. He is trying to woo the leaders from other parties and organisations. Another Union Minister Sadananda Gowda toured the coal belt recently. Both have also addressed a meeting on Article 370 in the coal belt. Also, they managed to get senior trade unionist with great influence Kengara Mallaiah into the BJP affiliate trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.
All this has left the TRS very worried. It knows that it is on a sticky wicket and knows that it could not win the majority seats in the coal belt. So, it is now trying to woo the voters in this region through various means and strategies. So, the coal belt could be the next big battle field for the political parties in Telangana. It has already sent Senior TDP leaders Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Diwakar Rao, Koruganti Chandar, Vanama Venkateswhwara Rao, Koppula Eswar and others are now holding meetings with the coal mine voters to ensure that they do not go the BJP way.