Kishan Reddy replaces Bandi as BJP Telangana chief, Etela to lead party in upcoming polls

Hyderabad: Union minister and Secunderabad MP G Kishan Reddy is the new BJP chief in Telangana, replacing Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay. BJP MLA Etela Rajender will lead the election campaign for the saffron party in the state.

The major political reshuffle comes months ahead of the Telangana State Assembly elections. After rounds of speculation, BJP national president JP Nadda issued official orders to the newly elected members.

If sources are to be believed, former BJP state president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay, who has been spearheading the saffron party in Telangana, is likely to get an elevation as a Union Minister of State.

Well, this political promotion is not a result of Sanjay’s work of holding the party together and putting up a fight against the ruling BRS and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, but damage control. The strategic changes are an attempt to curb the crumbling of BJP leadership in Telangana.

The fresh orders read, senior leader and BJP MLA Etela Rajender has been appointed as the chairman election management committee for BJP Telangana for the forthcoming elections.

AP sees changes too

In Andhra Pradesh, Somu Veeraraju was replaced by former union minister D Purandeswari as the BJP Andhra Pradesh president. Interestingly, Purandeswari is the sister-in-law of TDP chief and opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu.

Similarly, former chief minister of erstwhile united AP, Kiran Kumar Reddy, has been appointed as a member of the National Executive Committee, BJP.

What caused the reshuffle?

Highly placed sources told NewsMeter that former minister and BJP MLA Etela Rajender and his close associates in the party are ‘unhappy’ with Bandi Sanjay’s functioning and demanded a change in leadership. It may be recalled that Etela was called to New Delhi to meet union home minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the BJP.

The crux of their discussion was how the party must be strengthened in Telangana. Etela, has from time to time, given his inputs to the central BJP team on the factors that will have an impact on Telangana. Earlier, names of minister G Kishan Reddy, senior leader DK Aruna and former MLC Ramachandra Rao had surfaced to lead the party in the state.

Etela’s team included Dubbaka MLA Raghunandhan Rao, Nizamabad MP Aravind Dharmapuri, DK Aruna, Karimnagar Zilla Parishad Chairman, new entrant Raja Gopal Reddy and their supporters. The trouble has been brewing for over a year.

Speaking to NewsMeter, former MLC and ex-BJP Hyderabad president Ramachandra Rao said, “The matter turns out to be ego and adjustability. Team Etela Rajender is unhappy with the way Sanjay functions as BJP state president. He doesn’t consult senior leaders before holding meetings and even takes party decisions on his own. Even old-timers are being left out. Complaints have been reaching the High Command ears for over a year now. Now a proposal has been put forward to replace the BJP state president. Earlier there was a proposal to replace Sanjay with Etela. However, the party was not convinced. As Etela, though a senior leader, is still a newcomer to the party and handing over the mantle to him will disappoint other old-timers.”

However, Team Banjay Sanjay, who is being backed by former MP Jitender Reddy, media baron MP Vivek, and Gunde Vijaya Rama Rao want him to continue and they see him taking on the opposition. But it looks like team Etela won over team Bandi Sanjay.

On Tuesday, Bandi Sanjay wrote a message on Twitter saying, "Signing off as BJP Telangana state president."