Hyderabad, May 22 (IANS): BJP national president Amit Shah arrived here on Monday on a three-day visit to Telangana, aimed at strengthening the party in the state ahead of the 2019 elections.

BJP state president K. Laxman, party's floor leader in the Telangana assembly G. Kishan Reddy and other leaders welcomed Shah at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

From the airport, he left for Nalgonda district by road. During his visit to Nalgonda and Yadadri-Bhongir districts over the next two days, Shah will participate in various programmes.

The BJP leader will meet family members of Gundugoni Mysaiah, a BJP activist who was killed by Maoists in 1999.

He will also visit the houses of Dalits in Nalgonda villages.

Shah will on Tuesday visit Gundrampalli village to pay tribute to those killed by 'razakars' or volunteers of the Nizam before Hyderabad state's merger with the Indian Union.

He will also address booth level committees in the two districts.

The BJP president on the last day of his trip will return here to address a meeting of party workers of Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

The BJP is gearing up to make a serious bid to wrest Hyderabad seat from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has been winning this seat since 1984.

State BJP leaders are confident that Shah's visit will change the political map of the state. They hope that the BJP will come to power in the state in 2019.