Narendra Modi the BJP campaigner is not coming forward as he did in the 2014 elections. He is not on the posters everywhere. Har har Modi Ghar Ghar Modi is not the slogan now like earlier times. The local leaders are highlighting themselves and in some places, there is no Modi or Amit Shah for that matter.
The local leaders are putting banners and hoarding where they are in bigger size. Is this a deliberate strategy or was it a mistake on the part of local leadership? The visibility for Modi has been reduced.
When some media persons talked to people they told that Assembly elections and local polls like Panchayat polls are very significant for them when compared to MP elections. They don’t bother who is going to come to power at the centre next in 2019. They are bothered about the MLA and the CM apart from the mukhiya of the Panchayat that they want to elect.
Similarly in Telangana also people are bothered about the local government first and they don’t think about 2019. If it is Modi or Rahul is not the big question. KCR or someone from the Congress is the main issue now. The people want to decide on the local governance first.
Panchayat elections are also coming soon in Telangana. In all the four states where BJP is a big player Modi is going for the direct campaign but at the local level local leaders are playing the main role and they are on the campaign material.
In Telangana BJP is a very marginal player and here TRS and Congress are the main contestants. So we can assume that even if BJP loses the Assembly, it might be considered for the centre by the people.
People consider the local leadership as different from the central leadership.
U.Srinivas
Editor
