BJP vs TRS poster war: Hyd pasted with saffron, pink

Hyderabad: BJP and TRS appeared to have engaged in a poster war in Hyderabad, with saffron and pink flags and posters of leaders of both parties, including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao and Opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha lining up the streets.

While the ruling dispensation at the Center, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is holding its National Executive meeting here, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the ruling party in Telangana, is welcoming Sinha, who reached Hyderabad earlier in the day for his campaign ahead of the Presidential elections.
Saffron flags of the BJP and pink flags of the TRS appeared side by side, covering the streets in central Hyderabad, specially around the airport from where both Sinha and Modi were welcomed.

While KCR received Sinha, he would not be available for the Prime Minister. BJP leaders questioned the breach of protocol.
However, this is not the first time Rao broke protocol for PM, it will be the third time in six months when Rao will not be present for receiving the prime minister.
Modi will land in Hyderabad around 3 pm, and will be received by the state’s Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, Talasani Srinivas Yadav.
The TRS also booked all metro pillars and hoarding sites ahead of the BJP meet, and the city is lined up with KCR’s cutouts and posters. The BJP did not lag behind and cutouts have been placed across the city welcoming the PM and other BJP leaders.
Several posters against PM Modi and the Union government also sprung up in the IT hub, which were taken down.
With eyes on Telangana, which goes to polls next year, and aiming at making it’s presence felt in Southern states, the BJP is holding its national executive in Hyderabad after a gap of 18 years.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP won only one seat here, and lost deposit on over 100 seats. In 2019, Lok Sabha polls, BJP won four seats, surprising many.
In the 2020 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election, the BJP won 48 seats, and saw a 25 per cent increase in vote share, while TRS won 56.
The BJP also performed well in recent by-elections in Huzurabad and Dubbaka constituency.
A massive public meeting is scheduled in Hyderabad on July 3, which will be addressed by Modi.
The Cyberabad Police Commissioner has issued orders imposing Section 144, prohibiting any assembly of more than five persons in the limits of Cyberabad Commissionerate from July 1 to July 4.