Modi's rally in Hyderabad today, BJP hopes for its return in south

Hyderabad: Hyderabad is gearing up for Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP poll panel chief Narendra Modi's rally at the historic LB Stadum on Sunday, where he will address thousands of his supporters. It is the first big political event in the city since the formation of Telangana.

Ahead of his rally, Modi tweeted, "On my way to Hyderabad - I can feel the enthusiasm of the Youth already. Looking forward to Nava Bharat Yuva Bheri!"

The BJP has been leaving no stone unturned to canvas for his first public meeting in the city. From online rergistrations, Twitter publicity to voluntary contribution for Rs 5 for Uttarakhand victims, everything has been organised. Modi has been planning to kickstart his political tour from Nizam city and Telangana statehood is inevitably on agenda.

BJP senior leader Venkaiah Naidu said Modi will be addressing issues that are local and attached to people's sentiments. "Modi has chosen Hyderabad for his meeting and several issues that are local and attached to peoples sentiments will also be spoken about," he said.

However, the BJP which was backing Telangana statehood for long did a U-turn with Modi writing an open letter soon after the UPA decided to bite the bullet. He said in the letter, "The Congress party is rushing to announce Telangana. This raises serious concerns on the seriousness and intentions of the Congress. Will the Congress leadership not apologize to the people of Andhra Pradesh for treating them like doormats to suit the Congress' political opportunism?"

Meanwhile, parties like the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen have also expressed concern that Modi's visit will raise communal tensions. The police are also taking no chances. "We will have enough security to maintain law and order," Andhra Pradesh DGP Dinesh Reddy said.

In all his previous public meetings in Andhra Pradesh, Modi had promised a separate state in 48 hours of the NDA coming to power. But this time around, will development and a political roadmap for Telangana feature in his talk? After the Karnataka debacle and a bare presence in Andhra, the BJP is surely pinning its hopes on Modi to help the party re-build a gateway to the south.