The echo of "Congress Hatao Desh Bachao" (drive out Congress to save the nation) slogan is becoming louder, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) striving to consolidate its election tie-ups in south India.
Jana Sena founder and Telugu cinema's power star Pawan Kalyan is likely to join hands with the BJP-led electoral alliance in the south. Pawan Kalyan had reached Ahmedabad on the night of 20 March 2014 to meet BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on 21 March. Pawan is likely to meet Modi in the late evening on Friday.
Pawan Kalyan's meeting with Modi on Friday is being viewed as crucial for the grand electoral allince in Andhra Pradesh. Modi and Pawan are expected to discuss on poll strategy to be followed by the alliance parties in Andhra Pradesh and other matters. Pawan, younger brother of Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi, has already announced that his party is ready to join hands with any non-Congress party to oust the national party from power.
Modi is also campaigning since months with the same slogan of Pawan Kalayan that is "Congress hataao, desh bachaao." TDP chief Naidu has already expressed his willingness to join hands with Pawan in the mission to wipe out Congress in the State.
Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi has said that as a Congress man, he will treat Pawan Kalyan as a political opponent. Chiranjeevi said that as an elder brother his blessings will always be there for Pawan. But he was quick to add that as Congress leader, he will treat his younger brother as any other rival.
BJP is trying to forge electoral alliance with regional parties like Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telugu star actor Pawan Kalayan-led Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh and some six other regional parties in Tamil Nadu.
BS Yeddyurappa, former Karnataka Chief Minister who formed the first BJP government in the south and B Sreeramulu, another former minister and leader of minorities, backward classes and dalits, who had left the party have already joined back in BJP. This time in Karnataka, the party is eyeing to increase its vote share from backward communities through Sreeramulu.
In Tamil Nadu, BJP announced on 20 March that it has entered into an electoral alliance with a front of six regional parties - DMDK, PMK, MDMK, IJK, KMDK. BJP president Rajnath Singh in Chennai described the alliance as historic. He expressed a hope that the allied front would win at least 25 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
DMDK is heading by yesteryear actor Vijaykanth, PMK by Ramadoss, MDMK by Vaiko (V Gopalsamy) KMDK by AM Raja and IJK is being headed by TR Pachamuthu.
In Telangana of Andhra Pradesh, BJP's central leadership was facing glitches to have a poll tie-up with TDP. The electoral alliance is essential to both BJP and TDP in Telangana to face K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar, who was touring in Telangana on 20 March, met with party leaders in Hyderabad. BJP, which is claiming its role to pass the Telangana bill in Parliament and thus helping Congress-led UPA government, wants to clinch at least 64 assembly seats and 11 Lok Sabha seats to contest in ensuing Assembly and general election.
