Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah's visit here in Telangana scheduled for Friday has been postponed.
Telangana unit of the BJP announced that the much-awaited visit was put off as Shah's presence was required in New Delhi for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coordination committee meeting in view of the ongoing Parliament session.
Senior leader N. Ramachandra Rao said the new date would be announced in a couple of days. He indicated that Shah could visit Hyderabad after BJP National Executive meeting in Bhubaneswar on April 15 and 16.
The party cadres were eagerly waiting for the visit as Shah was to kick-start the process of strengthening the party in Telangana by addressing a meeting of party workers in Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, the bastion of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).
As the Hyderabad seat has been held by the MIM by over three decades and all attempts by the BJP in the past to wrest it proved futile, Shah decided to focus on this constituency as a first step towards galvanising the party in the state.
Shah was scheduled to address the workers in Exhibition Grounds. The party, however, was still waiting for permission from the state government.
He was also scheduled to address a meeting of intellectuals and bank employees and have lunch with the Dalits in the old city of Hyderabad.
Buoyed by the BJP's massive victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the party is gearing up for the elections in Telangana, scheduled in 2019.
A section of party leaders believe that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government may go for polls in 2018.
BJP's state president K. Laxman believes that the situation is conducive for the party. He is confident that BJP will come to power in Telangana, riding on 'Modi wave'.
It decided to rope in top central leaders of the party including ministers to address the meetings in all 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
Shah's meeting in Hyderabad was scheduled to be the first in the series of meetings.
Several BJP leaders will be visiting Telangana over the next few days.
Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar is scheduled to visit Bhongir on April 8.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will be visiting Nizamabad and Rajya Sabha member and BJP leader from Gujarat, Purshottambhai Rupala will be addressing a meeting in Mahabubnagar.
--IANS
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