In a high-level meeting with lawmakers from four southern states on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sternly addressed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) disappointing performance in Telangana, instructing the state’s MPs to immediately “shape up.”
The Prime Minister’s concern stems from the party’s failure to convert the ruling Congress party’s 2023 victory into an opportunity to establish itself as the formidable principal opposition, especially given the current internal chaos within the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Telangana’s Election Struggles
The data presented during the meeting underscored the Prime Minister’s frustration:
- 2023 Assembly Elections: The BJP secured only 8 out of 119 seats in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, achieving a popular vote percentage of 13.90% (Note: The article stated 175 seats and 14% vote share, but official results confirm 119 seats and 13.90% vote share).
- Jubilee Hills By-election (November 2025): The BJP’s performance worsened in the recent bypoll for the Jubilee Hills constituency.
- The Congress candidate, Naveen Yadav, won the seat (vacated by the BRS leader’s demise) with a commanding 50.83% of the vote.
- The BJP candidate, Deepak Reddy Lankala, managed only 17,061 votes, translating to a mere 8.76% vote share.
“The seat fell vacant after the demise of the sitting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader, but the Congress managed to wrest the constituency from them… this has not gone down well with the PM,” an official quoted the Prime Minister as saying, further citing the example of Odisha where the Congress quickly moved in as the main opposition to the new BJP government.
Historical Gains Frittered Away
PM Modi initiated the discussion by recalling the party’s historical strength, noting that one of the BJP’s first two MPs in 1984 was from the region (Chandupatla Janga Reddy from then-undivided Andhra Pradesh, now Telangana). He lamented that the current leadership has “frittered away the gains and allowed the party to drift.”
The Prime Minister called upon key leaders, including the newly appointed state president N Ramchander Rao (who assumed office in July 2025) and Union ministers Bandi Sanjay Kumar and G Kishen Reddy, to aggressively push back against the Congress.
Internal Discord and Strategic Alliance
The meeting also touched upon internal dissent, specifically the “old versus outsiders” sentiment. This follows remarks by Organizational General Secretary BL Santhosh that non-organic party members should not expect to be “handheld.” State unit president N Ramchander Rao, however, sought to clarify the statement, insisting that all members must focus on a “common aim.”
For Andhra Pradesh lawmakers, the PM directed them to focus on strengthening the party while maintaining a coordinated approach with the ally, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The PM praised the alliance’s status and commended CM N Chandrababu Naidu’s initiatives to boost investment.