Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday met Tollywood celebrity Jr NTR during the election campaign for Munugode assembly seat in Telangana.
While BJP leaders termed it only a courtesy call, stating that Shah wanted to discuss his performance in the blockbuster with the RRR star, party sources said the meeting had another purpose.
A senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said the meeting had political colors not only for Telangana but also for adjoining Andhra Pradesh.
signal to wind
According to a senior party leader, the meeting was not to praise Jr NTR, who has family ties with TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, but because the BJP wanted to send a strong message to Jana Sena party chief Pawan Kalyan.
“The two actors have a massive following in both the Telugu states. And both are believed to be residents of Andhra Pradesh. Shah’s meeting with Jr NTR will mean that the party does not have to depend on any one and options are ready,” the leader said.
The effect was immediate. “Kalyan held a press conference soon after in which he announced that he was maintaining equal distance from both TDP and YSRCP,” a highly placed source said.
But when Kalyan has promised his support to the BJP, why the need for a meeting?
“Kalyan was moving towards TDP. He had an understanding with the TDP in the 2014 elections and then changed in 2019 with the entry of the BJP as a party that did not have TDP as an ally. He had promised to be with the BJP in Delhi, but kept on saying that he does not want the opposition votes to be divided and it does not give confidence. Senior BJP leaders said they have been working with Kalyan for a long time and since he is also a superstar, they would like to benefit from his popularity and his vote bank.
talk to everyone
Some state leaders believe there was another reason for this high-profile meeting as well: to create buzz.
“The kind of buzz it will create will be unparalleled when Shah reaches Telangana and, if he meets a superstar like Jr NTR, who also has a relationship with N Chandrababu Naidu. For a few days people will keep talking about it in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” said another source.
Jr NTR ready for a political act?
The BJP is looking at popular faces to win seats in both the assembly and parliament, so it is focusing on people across states who can add to its numbers.
However, very few in the party believe that there is any such plan for Jr NTR in Telugu states.
“Junior NTR may live in Hyderabad but it is very difficult to imagine him contesting from Telangana. These people still do not accept the people of Andhra as their rule. He can work with the TDP-BJP alliance, but right now it seems impossible. He was the star campaigner of TDP in 2009 elections.
Another senior leader said, “Junior NTR has not had the same relationship with Naidu as before. The reason is Nara Lokesh, son of Naidu. Shah may have something in his mind about him but the purpose of this meeting was to put Kalyan in his place.
The BJP is targeting both the Telugu speaking states ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. While she has high hopes from Telangana, she also wants to establish herself in Andhra. Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha seats, and Telangana has 17. Sources said the BJP has reached the saturation point in the northern states and is expecting a loss of some seats, with an aim to make up for it from the southern states.
read the breaking news And today’s fresh news Here