On a day when the BJP is gearing up for its national executive meeting in Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is putting on a show of strength by hosting the opposition parties’ joint presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha.
Yashwant Sinha, who is in Raipur, is scheduled to land in Hyderabad at 11 am. In a grand gesture of welcome, he will be received by TRS president and Telangana CM KCR at Begumpet airport, after which the two will proceed to Jal Vihar at the head of a 10,000-strong bike rally.
At Jal Vihar, TRS MPs and MLAs will do a meet-and-greet with Sinha. The Telangana CM will address the gathering at the venue, which will be followed by Sinha’s address. KCR will also host a lunch for the Opposition presidential candidate at 1 pm.
Yashwant Sinha, a former BJP leader before switching allegiance to the Trinamool Congress, has been on a campaigning spree ahead of the presidential polls on July 18. He is pitted against the NDA-backed Draupadi Murmu in the high-stakes election. The KCR-led TRS has extended support to Sinha in the presidential race.
Sinha will also have separate meetings with Congress and AIMIM legislators to seek their votes, before leaving for Bengaluru in the evening. All this will happen while the BJP goes on the offensive against KCR by organising a meeting of its national executive, a key body having nearly 350 members from across the country, in his capital.
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ALL ABOUT BJP’S NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEET
The BJP is holding its two-day national executive meeting in Hyderabad, the first physical meeting of the party’s key decision-making body outside the national capital after a gap of five years, and the third in a southern state after coming to power in 2014.
With Maharashtra in its kitty, the BJP has consolidated its position in the north-western region and now has set it eyes on southern states, especially Telangana.
The high-profile convention will begin on Saturday noon with an inaugural speech by BJP national president JP Nadda and conclude with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on Sunday. While Nadda and a number of key leaders from other states have already arrived in the city, PM Modi is expected to land later today.
BJP National President JP Nadda with Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar, MP K Laxman and party leader Vijay Shanti during a road show in Hyderabad on Friday, ahead of the national executive meeting. (PTI photo)
An elaborate security blanket has been thrown around the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, the venue of the crucial meeting, in view of the presence of a number of top leaders.
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The HICC’s vicinity has been painted saffron and the BJP has installed banners and promotional material at vantage points in the city ahead of the meet.
With an eye on grasping power in Telangana in the 2023 polls, the saffron party’s state unit is all set to showcase the state’s heritage and culture, including satiating the taste buds of the visiting dignitaries with lip-smacking local cuisine.
It is also showcasing Telangana’s cultural heritage to party delegates arriving from all parts of the country with performances of the state’s traditional dance forms, besides an exhibition on the state’s history.
During the meeting, poll-bound states will give a report on organisational activities.
(With PTI Inputs)