Hyderabad: After weeks of speculation, discussions, an unending cycle of damning media leaks, chit chats and lame denials, public display of dissent, leaders asserting their demands openly, and the party’s public graph falling perceptibly, the BJP has made changes to its leadership in both Telugu states ahead of the elections later this year in Telangana and next year, along with the Lok Sabha polls, in Andhra Pradesh.
In Telangana, the change in leadership arises after a prolonged dissent, predominantly led by ex-BRS leader and former minister Etala Rajendar — who had joined the saffron party in duress and was supported by a group of leaders — sought the removal of Bandi Sanjay Kumar from the state party chief post.
The orchestration, after over a year of constant efforts, finally succeeded in removing Sanjay, but the position of the state president went to ‘Ajatashatru’ and former state unit chief, Union minister G Kishan Reddy. Rajendar himself was elevated almost simultaneously as the chairman of the BJP’s state election management committee.
“The high command has taken the decision after considering all factors. It has nothing to do with this state alone. The BJP took a decision over change of leadership in many states as part of the preparations for the coming elections. Everyone will get his or her share of responsibility and we will fight and try to win the elections unitedly,” said party leader N.V.S.S. Prabhakar, a former MLA.
“There is a clear indication of surrender. An aggressive leader like Bandi Sanjay has been sidelined to accommodate Rajendar’s demands and to bring in Kishan Reddy. This is a clear signal that the party will go soft on the BRS,” said another leader, a former MLA.
“Kishan Reddy is a BJP loyalist but he’s neither aggressive nor confrontational. At best, at this stage, he can carry everyone along.”
“The party has rewarded experience and ideological commitment. Kishan Reddy can lead us all to victory,” said Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri. “Rajendar is also an important leader and we are very confident we will defeat the BRS in the assembly elections.”
There was visible dejection in quarters that were perceived to be hardcore Sanjay loyalists, but there was hardly a matching eruption of joy or euphoria elsewhere. Most common workers and activists, including those on several dedicated BJP Whatsapp groups, said they were confused or unhappy.
Rajendar has been promising a dam-burst-scale exodus of leaders from other parties into the BJP after he was made the chief of the ‘joining’ committee. But he could not deliver the results, the blame for which he laid on Sanjay. In recent times, despite all efforts, the BJP could not induct Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao, both instead having joined the Congress.
“The structure is clear. Kishan Reddy is president of the BJP state unit and the boss. Everyone, including Rajendar, would report to him,” said N. Ramchander Rao, a former MLC.
“We built the party within a short time to a point, where, for the first time in history we were within range of winning power in a Telugu state. It is Sanjay’s contribution. Sadly, it was all given up,” said another leader.
Voicing optimism, Karuna Gopal said, “Our national leaders have recast the team before elections based on a deep understanding of the existing political mood in Telangana. Sanjay, who built the party, will surely be elevated to a big position and will be a star campaigner. Kishan Reddy’s sangfroid and rich experience, and Etala’s reach and pull, especially with the Mudiraj voters, will give us a big victory.”
Several leaders in the Congress, including old warhorse V. Hanumantha Rao feel these two decisions together prove that the BJP was in an undeniable, tacit understanding with the BRS. Hanumantha Rao said, “If any party replaces an aggressive tiger like Bandi Sanjay and gets a soft-spoken leader like Kishan Reddy, it proves Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the BRS is the BJP’s B-team. Now the BJP has clearly given up the fight in Telangana.”
On their part, all three leaders thanked the high command, signaling that personal emotions would be set aside and all of them would work together. But only the time ahead will reveal how inspiring would Kishan Reddy’s leadership be, and whether the two leaders would be able to coordinate matters effectively.
Political analysts are a divided lot and the jury is out on who will benefit from these moves – the BJP itself, or if this was an erroneous decision, who would gain – the Congress or the BRS.
In Andhra Pradesh, where the direct stakes of the BJP are far lower, having polled less than the NOTA in the previous elections when it fought alone, the party’s roping in of Daggubati Purandeswari as president is being interpreted as yet another signal that the BJP might look for an alliance in AP. But if she has an advantage, she has low expectations to go by; and in the coming days, there would be speculation whether the BJP will allow the Telugu Desam to re-enter the NDA.
