Welcome hoardings of TRS irritate BJP

Politics in Hyderabad have attained a feverish pitch with the turf war between the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reaching its crescendo. Just on the eve of the BJP's jamboree -- national executive meetings, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and all the big wigs and chief ministers of different States would take part, the TRS has upped the ante by showcasing its achievements in the last eight years.

While the TRS leaders demonstrated their proclivity to irritate the BJP, the ruling party of India couldn't conceal its exasperation. Unable to conceal its frustration caused by the novel hoardings showcasing the achievements and highlighting Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, the BJP enthusiasts tore off some of them.

In fact, the heat of exchanges between the two parties has soared the mercury in political thermometers with the BJP and the TRS social media wings taking on each other with novel concepts and slogans. The hashtags created by both parties have been making news.

While the TRS listed out several failures of the Modi regime on hoardings with a slogan #ByeByeModi and put them up around Parade Grounds where the Prime Minister would address a public meeting, the BJP has put up several banners and flexes at different places in the City and decked up the route leading to the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), the venue of the national executive.

In fact, the TRS, which foresaw well in advance that the BJP would paint the city saffron, officially blocked all Metro pillars leading to the Hitec City for the period they would have been occupied by the BJP. This naturally irritated the BJP. But since the blocking was official and legal, it couldn't do anything.

Meanwhile, the TRS Government has adopted an innovative approach of installing hoardings "welcoming" all those descending on Hyderabad. The oblique welcome was surely for the BJP delegates, but with an intended taunt. The 'sweet revenge' comes in the form of the hoardings at vantage points covering 15 aspects where the TRS Government has excelled and intertwined itself with the lives of the people of Telangana. The snide remarks in the form of slogans were so perfectly listed out that the BJP just couldn't stomach the derision.

Those who emerge out of the airport would be greeted with hoardings that proudly declare Telangana as the fourth largest contributor to the country's economy. A smiling KCR 'welcomes' the 'visitors' telling them that his is the only State in India that offers 24x7 free power to agriculture, a State that walks that extra mile to extend cash assistance and insurance to the agriculture sector.

Apart from posturing his government as farmer-friendly, KCR 'welcomes' the 'guests' to the "most harmonious" State, meaning the best in law and order, and that the State is the best offering best-in-class healthcare.

The world's largest lift irrigation project is located in Telangana and a 'welcome' billboard highlighted the magnificent Kaleshwaram project. Paddy production, IT exports, growth in per capita income, the highest production of solar energy, and the legion of subjects showcased Telangana as the best State in the country with its top-ranking performance in every aspect.

The messaging is direct and the hoardings stopped short of asking; "Why any party, at all?" (when the TRS Government is performing so well).

Meanwhile, Working President of the TRS K T Rama Rao appealed to the TRS cadres to show the development and welfare schemes implemented by the State Government on the ground at every nook and cranny of the State. In a derisive manner, KTR suggested that the 'political tourists' – one each visiting every one of the 119 Assembly constituencies -- be taken around every town and fed Hyderabadi Biryani. He said that anybody could visit the State and all tourists were welcome.