The 2028 Assembly elections in Karnataka and Telangana may be close to two years away, but the BJP-RSS combine’s political playbook for them already appears to be taking shape. Not only are the Karnataka and Telangana elections being viewed as an opportunity for a “show of strength” by the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, they also present the last opportunity for the BJP-RSS to firmly establish their foundations in southern India ahead of what could be a fourth consecutive term at the Centre. According to sources, they will also provide an opportunity to put in motion recent lessons in confronting regional political forces. Insiders sought to underline the combine’s organisational and electoral focus on the two southern states through back-to-back visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah within days of the BJP’s success in West Bengal and its retaining the reins in Assam and Puducherry in the recent Assembly elections.…