Hyderabad: In a significant political signal ahead of Feb 11 municipal elections in Telangana, BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday accused the Congress govt of pursuing appeasement politics.Addressing his first-ever public meeting in South India in Telangana’s Mahbubnagar after taking over party reins last month, Nabin alleged that budgetary allocations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes had been cut while funding for minorities was increased by the Congress govt.Nabin said justice had eluded large sections of society during the Congress rule in the state, marking a decisive push by the saffron party to expand its footprint in the southern states, with Telangana firmly in focus.“Chief minister Revanth Reddy’s statement that ‘Congress is for minorities and minorities are for Congress’ reflects the appeasement politics that Congress practised over time,” he said during his ‘Vijay Sankalp Sammelan’ address at the MVS Degree College grounds.Nabin said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attempting to address issues related to waqf properties, the Telangana govt was trying to make the Waqf Board the richest, claiming that the Congress was only focused on cultivating a Muslim vote bank.Targeting the govt on religious issues, Nabin said the Congress had ignored the sentiments of devotees, referring to recent attacks on temples and alleged encroachments of temple lands. He said the govt had remained silent on such incidents. “Sanatan dharma is the soul of this country. The BJP will not remain quiet on this. We will fight for Sanatan,” he remarked.The BJP chief also accused the Congress of failing to deliver on key promises made during the last election cycle. He cited the lack of adequate support to farmers, unfulfilled assurances on farm loan waivers and the neglect of agricultural labourers, alleging that SCs, STs and BCs had been deceived by the present administration. He urged voters to back the BJP to ensure justice for all sections.The Mahbubnagar meeting marks a clear escalation in the BJP’s campaign as municipal elections turn into a three-cornered contest involving the ruling Congress, the opposition BRS and the BJP. By choosing Telangana for its first major South India public outreach under the national chief, political observers said the BJP has signalled its intent to position the state as the launchpad for its southern expansion while sharpening its attack on the Congress govt.‘Unseat Cong govt’Raising corruption allegations, Nabin claimed the govt was collecting commissions in the name of revenue recovery taxes, placing an additional burden on small contractors seeking approvals for development works. Calling upon party workers and supporters, he appealed for a mass movement to unseat what he described as a ‘corrupt, commission-driven govt’ and replace it with a transparent and accountable administration.Focusing on organisational goals, Nabin urged party cadre to work towards improving voter turnout. “Our voting percentage in the 2024 parliamentary elections increased to 35. This time, we aim for a 50 per cent turnout from every booth so that we can win the next assembly elections,” he said.He began his address by paying tribute to the martyrs of the Telangana statehood movement, acknowledging their sacrifices, and praised the state’s legacy. Drawing on history, he invoked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s role in the liberation of Hyderabad, describing it as a ‘defining moment’ in India’s freedom struggle.
