We would rather die than work with AIMIM

THE BJP'S STRATEGY for the Telangana elections has been difficult to decode. When it removed the firebrand leader Bandi Sanjay as the state president, it was interpreted as an olive branch to the BRS. But it then fielded strongman Eatala Rajender against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, which was by no means a goodwill gesture. In fact, the party is fighting a war on two fronts-it wants to ensure that the Congress is kept out of power, but does not want an overwhelming BRS victory.

- RAHUL DEVULAPALLI

In the war room at the BJP headquarters, national secretary Arvind Menon, who is the Telangana coin-charge, is chalking out plans to increase the party's tally in the state. He throws light on the expectations and challenges in an exclusive interview:

Q/ What are the BJP's prospects in constituencies like Gajwel, Sircilla, and Kamareddy, where KCR and his son, K.T. Rama Rao, are in the fray?

A/ We are winning in all the seats you mentioned. Add more seats to it, like the one contested by BJP ex-president Bandi Sanjay. In Kamareddy, our candidate is a local who enjoys the goodwill and he is accessible to voters, whereas KCR and Revanth Reddy are outsiders. In Gajwel, our senior leader Eatala Rajender will defeat KCR, and in Sircilla, our spokesperson Rani Rudrama will perform well.