When a top leader of the party and a former president visits one’s state, the state leader will normally join them, greet them and eke out a few minutes to discuss party-related issues. When Union Home Minister and former national president of BJP Amit Shah visited Srisailam, it was a purely official visit and AP state BJP chief Somu Veerraju did not even try to meet him.
This has become a hot topic of discussion in the political circles of Andhra Pradesh. Why did Somu Veerraju not meet Amit Shah? While Shah’s visit was purely personal, he and his wife offered prayers at the Srisailam temple. But, they also found time to visit the RSS-run Shivaji Sphoorti Kendram, where they spent close to one hour. But, why did Amit Shah not have time for Somu Veerraju and why did the latter not make an attempt to meet him at Srisailam?
Another interesting factor is that the BJP top boss did not make an attempt to meet Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan during this visit. He could have met Pawan in the airport or some other place. But, even that did not happen. Pawan Kalyan too did not make an attempt to meet Amit Shah. Analysts say that this is a sign that all is not well between the Jana Sena and the BJP. Sources say the BJP has realized that Pawan Kalyan does not have a vote-catching appeal. In the recent Tirupati MP bypoll, the BJP got what it would normally get. Jana Sena could not add any new votes. This is said to have rankled the BJP leadership, which felt that Pawan was not really helpful in getting votes.
