Hyderabad: BJP President Amit Shah Monday kicked off his much awaited three-day tour of Telangana with a declaration that his party will form the next government in Telangana.

However the other opposition parties have rejected the claim describing it as “mind game” of the BJP.

On the first day Amit Shah visited Theratupalli village in Chanduru mandal in Nalgonda district. Amit Shah was accorded a warm welcome by the state BJP leaders and workers at the Shamshabad International Airport. At Theratupalli village he hoisted the party flag and unveiled the statue of G Maisaiah Goud, former BJP president of Nalgonda district who was shot dead by Maoists in early 1990s.

Later he went around the village going door-to-door talking to people about their problems and local issues. He also wanted to know whether the benefits of various schemes of Narendra Modi government were reaching them or not.

He also met the families of the people who had died during the armed struggle against the Nizam government before 1948.

Later addressing the booth level workers of the BJP he urged the cadres to remain in close touch with the people and educate them about various programmes and policies of Modi government at the centre.

“Many people told me that the benefits of those schemes were not reaching them,” Amit Shah said.

While Narendra Modi government was working to uplift the poor and the weaker sections, I am going around visiting the states to strengthen the party.

The choice of Nalgonda as first stop by Amit Shah was significant because this backward district of Telangana was traditionally a left stronghold but their grip over it has crumbled in the last few elections and the Congress and TRS have made inroads.

It is one of those pockets where the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has not yet become invincible and the BJP sees an opportunity to strengthen itself.

In the late 80s and early 90s the BJP had some presence in the district but ever since the death of Maisaiah Goud the party could not recover.

Nalgonda also has many serious problems and majority of the villages in the district were suffering due to excess fluoride in groundwater and people were developing deformities due to fluorosis.

State BJP leaders have alleged that ruling TRS has not done anything to help the local people.

There were speculations ahead of Amit Shah’s visit that some leaders of other parties will join the BJP.

The speculations were triggered by the fact that the state BJP leaders had established contacts with the leaders of Congress and TDP but their response was not satisfactory leading to the delay.

While the ruling TRS was keeping a close watch on the visit, some senior leaders of Congress started criticising BJP as soon as it announced Shah’s visit.

Party leader V Hanumantha Rao said that Shah’s visit was part of operation Akarsh to lure the leaders of other parties.

“BJP had sent its MP from Karnataka to meet some Congress leaders in Telangana but they could not succeed”.

He said Congress will step up its efforts to win back the support of Backward Classes in the state.

Former Congress MP Ponam Prabhakar said that like TRS, BJP too was playing mind games. “Even if hundred Amit Shahs come they cannot harm the Congress party”, he said exuding confidence that the forthcoming visit of Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will revive party’s fortunes.