With little time left for 2024 elections, BJP looks to Purandeswari for a post-poll strategy

Related: BJP preps ‘Operation Akarsh’ in Andhra Pradesh to weaken TDP

The Purandeswari factor

In the last four years, the BJP has changed the chief of its Andhra Pradesh unit abruptly, devised a customised “Andhra strategy”, inducted the TDP’s Rajya Sabha members hoping there will be an exodus from the Opposition party in the state, conducted 5,000 whistle-stop meetings, and unleashed “Operation Akarsh”.

But all those attempts appear to have fallen flat, with no prominent leader showing up to join the BJP.

Barring, former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who has been inactive in politics, no prominent politician from either the TDP or the YSRCP has shown interest in the BJP in Andhra Pradesh.

The saffron party, which polled less than NOTA in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls in the state, appears to be now hoping that after the 2024 polls either the TDP or the YSRCP will be weakened enough so as to create a space for the BJP in the state’s political arena.

And to occupy that space, the BJP central leadership had appointed Purandeswari, who represents a powerful and influential community in Andhra politics, as its face in the state.

“The BJP has been trying to make some inroads in Andhra Pradesh for some time now. But I feel their efforts lacked seriousness. Now that only nine months are left for the polls, it can’t expect any tangible results from Purandeswari within such a short period,” political commentator and analyst Duggaraju Srinivas told South First.

So, what could be the reason for the BJP suddenly appointing someone who was a Union minister and comes from an influential community with a strong political legacy and clout?

“Clearly, the BJP is hoping one of the regional parties being wiped out from the political scene of Andhra Pradesh in the aftermath of the 2024 polls,” said Srinivas.

“To occupy that space by attracting some prominent leaders, the BJP needs a credible face and strong personality. Maybe she can fit in that space,” he added.

Related: BJP picks Purandeswari to lead Andhra Pradesh unit

The post-poll strategy

All these years, the saffron party either played second fiddle to the ruling party for a major part of the TDP’s term, or remained an insignificant rabble-rouser.

Picking Purandeswari to lead the party in Andhra Pradesh can be seen as an indication of the BJP trying to woo the powerful, influential, and wealthy Kamma community that has traditionally supported the TDP.

Except for TDP Rajya Sabha members Sujana Chowdhary, TG Venkatesh, Garikapati Ra Mohan Rao, and CM Ramesh, no other prominent leader joined the BJP from the TDP in recent times. Inducting these leaders was also an operation by the central leadership.

Purandeswari joined the BJP from the Congress just before the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. She unsuccessfully contested the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls as a BJP candidate.

BJP insiders told South First that the party always wanted to utilise the legacy of “NTR’s daughter” to gain some strength in Andhra Pradesh.

Not to ruffle feathers within the TDP between 2014 and 2018, the BJP — as an ally — kept Puarndeswari idle.

Now, that the saffron party wants to gain strength by bringing in leaders from other parties — especially from the TDP — in Andhra Pradesh, Purandeswari has been chosen to lead the party in the state.

Setting in motion its plan of action last year to land big fish — mainly from the TDP — to create a buzz, the party deployed at least 10 Union ministers to address about 5,000 whistle-stop meetings between 17 September and 2 October, Gandhi Jayanti.

But, the BJP utterly failed to create any such buzz.

Never in the state’s history had the BJP organised such an outreach blitzkrieg, with an exclusive, state-level committee to oversee the arrangements for these street-corner meetings.

Also read: GVL Narasimha Rao eyes Vizag ticket, but so has Purandeswari