Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Telangana unit is likely to see a change in leadership within the next two months. If party sources are to be believed, the names of ex-MLC Ram Chander Rao, Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender and state vice-president DK Aruna’s names are doing rounds as possible replacements. Currently, Union minister and Secunderabad MP Kishan Reddy is holding the position.
The development is important as it will set the tone for the party’s way forward in Telangana, especially after its impressive win in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections this year. The BJP here managed to win 8 out of the 17 Parliamentary seats in Telangana, giving the ruling Congress and the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) a rude shock, as the incumbent government expected to win more seats.
The BJP in Telangana managed to win eight MLA constituencies in the 2023 Assembly polls, and also increased its vote share. However, it made massive gains by taking about 39% of the vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Interestingly, even though analysts expected the BJP to grow and slowly eat into the main opposition space, which the BRS is holding onto in spite of its recent downward political trajectory, the political landscape still is majorly in a Congress versus BRS position.
The BRS got only 39 seats, losing last year’s Assembly elections to the Congress, which came to power with 64 seats. SInce then, the BRS in Telangana also lost 9 MLAs to the grand old party due to defections.
A BJP functionary, who did not want to be named, said that the change in leadership in Telangana will help the party change gears in the coming future. “You can expect a change in the Telangana presidentship in the next 45 days or so. Kishan Reddy replaced Bandi Sanjay last year before the Assembly elections and that also had an impact. The Munugode by-election loss may have played a role in the change of guard then,” said the functionary.
Bandi Sanjay, who has been aggressive with his Hindutva rhetoric in Telangana ever since he became BJP’s state president, was in fact in leadership rift with Eatala Rajender over the post. He stepped down in July 2023 and was replaced by Secunderabad Lok Sabha MP G. Kishan Reddy. That change also changed the tone in the party’s approach from the Hindutva approach to ‘development’.
More importantly, he also belongs to the Backward Classes (BC) section, which observers believe the BJP in Telangana has been trying to bring to its side. “Eatala is also a strong contender, but for long-term party workers, someone like Ram Chander Rao will be more acceptable as he has been there from many years,” stated the BJP functionary.
Eatala once again in race for BJP Telangana president post
In fact, within the BJP, there had been opposition last year also from within to Eatala Rajender’s appointment as Telangana president, since he had come from the BRS and has been termed an ‘outsider’. However, given that he is a also a BC leader from the Mudiraj community, the BJP functionary said that he stands a strong chance of taking up the mantle as well.
Another senior BJP leader from Telangana also confirmed that the change in leadership will happen in about a month’s time. “Right now we are busy with the leadership drive, but after that we will soon focus on the state,” he told Siasat.com.
After the BRS lost power last year in Telangana, it has been attacking the Congress government and chief minister Revanth Reddy over a host of issues. BRS working president KT Rama Rao and ex-finance minister Harish Rao have been constantly criticising the state government on issues with regard to welfare schemes and other programmes. It is to be seen if the BJP can edge out the BRS to take up that space.
“BJP beyond Hyderabad still does not have any appeal. Due to anti-incumbency and other reasons, a large section of voters moved towards the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. Post elections, there has been lack of confidence in the central government led by Narendra Modi is not maybe viable long term. That perception is having an effect of BJP here,” said a political analyst who did not want to be quoted.
