Hyderabad : Saturday and Sunday have become hectic in the three southern States - Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is undertaking a whirlwind weekend sortie to Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru to take part in a slew of development, infrastructural and other programmes that involved several thousands of crores.
Modi's visit to Hyderabad assumes significance amid the intensifying struggle for power between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The saffron party's bid to gain a foothold in Telangana has met with a setback with the expected polarisation of the Hindu vote bank not happening as per its plan.
On the other hand, BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao is formulating strategies to effectively counter both the national parties - BJP and Congress - on the strength of his Telangana regional sentiment as well as his 'secret understanding' with the Owaisi-led Majlis-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).
Also Read : Karnataka Elections 2023: Voting on May 10, Counting on May 13 - 10 points
With regard to Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK led by CM Stalin is raising its rhetoric ahead of the 2024 general elections. Already, Stalin has been a committed supporter of the Congress and he has been organising national-level events to bring together anti-BJP parties and organisations in the name of social justice and equal opportunities.
As regards Karnataka, it is the only state where the BJP is currently in power in South India. Incidentally, Karnataka is also the only southern State where the saffron party could ever form its government on its own. This year's election is indeed a tough test for the BJP to retain power in Karnataka where the Congress is making a renewed bid to make a strong comeback.
In his today's visit, Modi is going to flag off two Vande Bharat Express trains - one in Hyderabad and another in Chennai. In Karnataka, Modi is going to take part in the golden jubilee celebrations of Project Tiger on April 9. This is the eighth visit of the PM to the poll-bound southern State in just four months. The BJP is banking on the Hindu vote bank and caste equations to win again while the Congress looks to cash in on the anti-incumbency and the Rahul Gandhi Bharat Jodo Yatra impact.
