Hyderabad: A number of political heavy weights of the BJP from Telangana, who played a key role in expansion of the party to a mass-base party, and won the recent Lok Sabha elections were hoping for a berth in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Cabinet failed to get a place on Sunday.
The supporters of few key leaders, who have been figuring in the most probables list, felt that the RSS may have put pressure on BJP high command to give preference to senior leaders associated with the party for long.
Etala Rajendar, a Backward Classes leader who won from Malkajgiri Lok, was seen as a front runner. He enjoys strong support from different BC groups. Surya Rao Sangem, founder of BC Samaj, an apex body of BC caste groups, said that they are hopeful of Rajendar being appointed Telangana president of the BJP. “We are hoping that Etala will get justice,” he said..
D.K. Aruna, who joined the BJP when it was not yet a strong force in Telangana and won from Mahbubnagar, the home district of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, was disappointing, an associate said.
Chevella MP=elect Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and Nizamabad MP-elect D. Arvind were the other hopefuls.
Leaders from other parties who wish to join the BJP will hesitate as newcomers have not been rewarded, observed a BJP leader.
However, senior BJP leader P.L. Srinivas said that the BJP was a big party and senior leaders, who had been working at different levels, would be given a place. “The party has a unique culture of rewarding committed leaders. A party worker can get a big position and there are many such examples,” Srinivas said.
