In a remarkable display of democratic strength, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved a notable breakthrough in the Telangana Assembly Election 2023, reshaping the political landscape of the state. Securing victory in 8 out of 119 seats, the BJP garnered approximately 14 percent of the total votes, a significant milestone for the party in Telangana. This success reflects a growing resonance of the BJP’s message and policies among the electorate. Shedding light on this historic achievement, Mahendra Kumar of Organiser conducted an exclusive interview with Dr K Laxman, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, former President of Telangana BJP, and the National President of BJP’s OBC Morcha. In this interview, Dr Laxman provides insightful perspectives on the BJP’s performance in the Telangana Assembly Election
What are your views on BJP’s performance in the recent Telangana Assembly Election?
We have performed well. It was a change the public wanted. BJP was the only alternative that the public wanted. BJP was the only viable alternative, but unfortunately, the anti-incumbency vote Congress grabbed because of its long-standing party. It was the only anti-incumbency vote Congress got in Telangana. But whereas BJP Modi’s Karishma and Modi Ji’s guarantees & Modi’s welfare and development programmes thought we were not in good number of elected representatives from Telangana. Modi Ji, as Prime Minister, used to say that politics only works at the time of election after election; we have to work as team Bharat, as a Prime Minister of the country, he has given 9 lakh crores worth for developmental programmes in Telangana. The national highway is worth 1 lakh crore. He has given 900 crores for Turmeric Board Tribal University, and he has reopened Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited, which was closed during the Congress. Railways first got got Rs 4,400 crores budget; in the past, even in undivided Andhra Pradesh, we hardly got Rs 800 crores.
In the 2018 Assembly Election, we got roughly 7.9 per cent votes and 1 seat. In this election, we got 13.9 per cent of votes and 8 seats, which is a good jump in our performance. We were expecting more seats, and we were targeting for power because people wanted a change from KCR & BRS. It was the most corrupt government in the country, and moreover, it was a family-oriented monarch and they followed appeasement politics just to get the votes of the minority. They have gone for a reservation of upto 12 per cent for Muslims, so anyway, by the next Lok Sabha Election 2024, I am sure that we are going to clinch all the parliament seats (17) in Telangana under Modi’s leadership.
Do you think that there is some lack in election strategy, that is why you couldn’t get more seats?
Yes, you are right; now, one thing we have to rethink is what lapses took place organisationally, politically where we went wrong, or else we were actually targeting for power by default. Congress has come to power. In fact, we were instrumental in bringing the lexes of KCR’s BRS government. When I was President of Telangana BJP. We fought alone. We got four MPs, and after B Sanjay came as president, he made the party vibrant. He moved people, and he organised many Dharna. During the Padyatra, which took place in the remotest places, people were rallying behind the BJP, and they believed what the BJP said. So, anyway, we will have a detailed review of the elections and what went wrong, but I am confident that we are going to improve and perform better in the coming Lok Sabha Election.
In three states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh, Modi Ji performed many political rallies. Do you think that in Hindi heartlands, Modi’s message passed to the public? He also campaigned in Telangana, but do you think he could not clear his message to non-Hindi states?
It is not, so I would like to make it very clear throughout the corner of the country that Modiji is the face. Modiji is a man of performers. Now, he has changed the perception of politics. Now, it’s a matter of performance. All these other parties were trying to divide the people in the name of caste, religion, and region, and they’re also now playing a game, particularly Congress, to divide in the name of North & South. We won this election in a pro-incumbency state in Madhya Pradesh. You see, in all the five states where the election took place, all the other states where Congress was in power, and our regional parties were in power, it was anti-incumbency. In Telangana, Chhattisgarh & Rajasthan there was anti-incumbency, but in this election, we show pro-incumbency. incumbency that is Modi’s work as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan how development and welfare they have seen to as equally important. Congress in the name of guarantees grabbed the votes in Karnataka and but now people are suffering in Karnataka even in Himachal Pradesh. In Telangana anti-incumbency votes got Congress but in spite of all that odds but for Modi’s campaign, Modi Ji’s rallies, we could get not only eight seats we were second on eighteen seats. BJP got 14 per cent votes but its not a small number because these people they say that BJP & Modi magic is not proper so they should now understand we are in power in Pondicherry, we have good numbers of MPs in Karnataka and we have four MPs in Telangana.
We were in power in Karnataka, and we are picking up in Tamil Nadu now people are looking towards Modi ji. In Tamil Nadu also people are vexed and fed up with this regionalism and regional politics they always try to divide the people in the name of language or cast or even religion but Modi’s only factor is development and Welfare there’s a difference between welfare and freebies there is little beet Laxman Rekha. Now PM announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for five years that because he doesn’t want any poor family to suffer for want of food star for food so he has extended that scheme that is a welfare measurement not a freebie like that even Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi its a support price to the farming community and apart from that he is giving subsidy an acre almost it’s coming 18 to 20,000 whoever really cultivates a farmer who is getting the benefit of 18, 000 in the name of subsidy and fertiliser, so Modi Ji’s scheme now is it is like incentive linked welfare unlike other parties just freebies so production link incentive production linked incentive is Modi ji’s agenda. The more you produce, the more you get support from the government. It will help in the development of the country.
Question: You attended the first day of the winter session of Parliament. What kind of environment do you show in the house after the victory of the BJP in 3 States? What do you think about the opposition being able to do a strong fight with the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election?
It was the jubilant mood in Parliament. We saw the faces of Congress and other so-called Ghamandiya Gathbandhan (I.N.D.A Alliance). Their faces were totally gone. They only said it’s a semi-final before finals in these five state elections. In the semi-finals we got hat trick results: we got three states, and that to a landslide victory, unlike not a small number. and again in the next 2024, we are going to have a hat trick. We are going to have Modi ji as a Prime Minister for the third time. After Modi ji became PM for the third time, India became the third largest economy in the world. That is Modi’s guarantee. Now people of Bharat & all BJP MPs are in jubilant mode, and we never take this Ghamandiya Gathbandhan easily. They only try to divide the society for the just sake of the power the dynasty politics, what Congress does, and the corrupt practices of the so-called regional parties of Congress and even appeasement to stoop down to such a level to they try to appease, even ignoring the Constitution now they are just like auction they’re announcing the schemes for freebies and just like auction they are giving reservations for Muslims from 4% to 12% in Telangana, but people now understand all this doesn’t work out this corrupt most corrupt Government in Telangana though they have spent thousands of crores in the election people have Dethrone them they have rejected them they have seen because they don’t want this Government to be continued so we hope by next Parliament elections BJP alone will be the party which will gain all the parliament seats (17) in Telangana. The next election will be a fight between BJP and Congress by the time we see Congress Mukt Bharat.
In the recent round of Assembly polls, several opposition leaders raised questions over electronic voting machines. What are your views on opposition blame?
Whenever they lose the election, they try to blame EVM. When they win, they say that it’s their contribution, but why does the EVM work in Telangana? Why doesn’t it work in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh? This is all an excuse for them because now Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi they have no face at all because whenever the elections come, they become OBC, SC, ST, and sometimes become Janeu Dhaari like that they try to act all this drama politics people now know the true colours the true faces of this Congress people and they are rejecting right from Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala even Karnataka to even Jammu & Kashmir but Congress now they have lost public sympathy and public support it is only Modi ji now they strongly believe in Modi’s guarantees and this development which they are seeing witnessing for the last 9 and half years throughout country because Modi repeatedly says the politics of performance only will survive the politics of appeasement, politics of family, politics of dynasty will be put an end by the people of this country.
Question: Now, the BJP has many MLAs in the Assembly. So what will be the BJP’s role as opposition?
We welcome the Telangana people’s verdict and will definitely play a constructive opposition role in the larger interest of the Telangana people. As the elections are over and even the Government of India and Modi ji will try their best to see that the funds for development and Welfare schemes are now reached to the poor of this Telangana state also because we have seen first time in 9 years 27 lakh crores have been directly transferred into the poor man’s accounts without any middleman role earlier Rajiv Gandhi used to say when I send 100 rupees from Delhi but poor people used to get 15 rupees 85 rupees the middleman has to eat away now, there’s not a single rupee cut directly the amount which is sent from Delhi are transferred to people’s bank account this is the change people have seen this is a model of government people have wanted they are seen Gujarat model, UP model now they want such model to be applicable throughout the country in all states even including in Telangana. We want a double-engine Sarkar, but we will have a double impact on development and Welfare.
The interview can’t be completed without asking about KVR Reddy and how they defeated outgoing CM KCR and incoming CM A Revanth Reddy. What do you want to say about his performance?
He is a giant killer because K. Chandrashekar Rao, as a Chief Minister, contested in that consistency called Kamareddy, so PCC President A Revanth Reddy contested from the Kamareddy to defeat KCR but our candidate defeated both the existing CM and the person who is claimed to become a CM A Revanth Reddy so he is a giant killer this is a message because people for the sake of politics they do politics people will teach lesson. KVR Reddy was our party candidate last time. He also contested from the same constituency. Though he lost the last election, he was with the public, so these two people just came to Kamareddy to save their seats, but people have taught a lesson that is BJP Karyakartas, which has now boosted the model of the entire cadre of the BJP in the State.
What will Telangana BJP contribute to make Modi ji the third-time PM in the Lok Sabha Election 2024? How many seats are you going to win?
We are focusing on all 17 seats. We are confident that we are going to win seats in two digits.
