New Delhi: The BJP is tough put to maintain its flock collectively in poll-bound Telangana within the face of simmering resentment between state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and disgruntled leaders Eatala Rajender and Okay. Raj Gopal Reddy.
In a second try inside two months to dealer peace between Bandi and the state unit’s “Eatala faction”, of which Reddy is alleged to be an element, Union House Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda met the 2 teams individually in New Delhi over the previous few days.
BJP sources informed ThePrint that Shah, who met Eatala and Reddy Saturday, requested them “to shun variations and work unitedly” for the ouster of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) authorities in Telangana.
Equally, Shah and Nadda met Bandi Tuesday and requested him to make peace with the warring faction and contain all leaders in a united struggle in opposition to the BRS, the sources stated.
Eatala is BJP’s Huzurabad MLA who was earlier within the BRS and was thought of a confidant of chief minister Okay. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). He joined the BJP in 2021. Reddy, a former MLA and MP, too, joined the BJP after parting methods with the Congress.
The BJP excessive command’s directions come amid an aggressive Congress marketing campaign in Telangana and rumours that Reddy and Eatala might desert the celebration.
Each leaders have just lately not participated in celebration conferences within the state and even skipped Nadda’s rally in Telangana Sunday, elevating apprehensions over their rising disenchantment with the celebration.
Saturday’s assembly between the senior BJP leaders and Eatala additionally happened after Nadda made “again to again calls to Eatala to go to New Delhi for a session”, stated celebration sources.
The sources added that for a part of the assembly, Eatala and Reddy expressed concern to the excessive command concerning the notion among the many celebration’s Telangana cadre that the BJP was “going smooth on the BRS” and that an “understanding” had taken place between the 2 events.
The assembly was additionally attended by BJP’s state in-charges Sunil Bansal and Tarun Chugh, and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy.
Chatting with ThePrint Sunday, Eatala stated: “The BJP excessive command is conscious of the celebration’s scenario within the state. We mentioned a number of points with the excessive command, together with the roadmap for the polls and the notion battle. In addition they must decide on my function within the celebration. Time is operating out.”
Reddy informed ThePrint that “we have now raised a number of points with the house minister and given our sincere suggestions”. “We’ve conveyed that there’s nonetheless time to vary technique within the state and proper errors,” he added.
Final month, too, Eatala had approached Shah together with a gaggle of state leaders to specific grievances, together with dissatisfaction with Bandi.
Speaking about Saturday’s assembly, a BJP supply stated: “Shah heard the leaders patiently and tried to persuade them to shun their variations and struggle unitedly”.
He added that the celebration had engaged G. Kishan Reddy to diffuse the disaster within the Telangana unit and produce extra synergy within the state.
“The excessive command additionally known as Bandi for session on the factors raised by the Eatala faction,” the supply stated.
ThePrint reached out to Bandi over calls however didn’t get a response until the time of publishing this report. It is going to be up to date when a response is acquired.
Additionally Learn: KCR urges BRS cadre to dispel ‘misinformation marketing campaign’ of opposition events
Complaints in opposition to Bandi Sanjay
One of many grievances raised by some leaders in BJP’s Telangana unit is about Bandi’s functioning fashion.
Leaders near Eatala informed ThePrint that “we have now complained a number of instances about Sanjay Bandi’s angle of not giving respect to different leaders and behaving like an autocrat”.
They said that “senior leaders Kishan Reddy and Okay. Laxman are additionally not proud of Bandi’s self-promotion at the price of celebration”, however added that “the celebration management believes Bandi will guarantee victory in Telangana”.
A second BJP supply informed ThePrint: “Eatela knowledgeable the management that he was disillusioned within the celebration as his employees and associates weren’t getting respect, and that many BRS leaders had been initially inclined to affix the BJP however backed out arguing that if Eatala was not getting respect, what was the assure of their future.”
Chatting with ThePrint final month, a BJP chief from the “Eatala camp” had stated that beneath Bandi’s management, the Telangana BJP was specializing in ideological relatively than substantive points, which might value the celebration.
“Bandi believes the Telangana election could be gained by emphasising the Hindutva problem. Nevertheless, throughout the state, with no sturdy cadre and addressing problems with corruption, mismanagement of funds, and unemployment, we can not defeat the BRS,” he added.
“After its victory (in Karnataka), the morale of the Congress can also be excessive, and it has the potential to divide the anti-incumbency vote if our selections usually are not taken properly,” the chief stated.
Amongst these urging the BJP excessive command to exchange Bandi as state president is former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, BJP sources had earlier informed ThePrint.
The dissent in opposition to Bandi comes amid hypothesis within the state that Raj Gopal Reddy might return to the Congress, which is reportedly making advances at him in addition to Eatala.
Reddy is believed to have affect in Yadadri and Nalgonda districts of Telangana, and is alleged to be dealing with stress to affix the Congress from his brother, Okay. Venkat Reddy, who represents Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency for the celebration.
‘Congress profitable notion battle’
The BJP faces a slew of challenges because it gears as much as put up a aggressive struggle in opposition to the BRS for Telangana’s 119 seats, together with public criticism from inside its ranks and the notion that it has been unable to capitalise on anti-incumbency within the state.
The truth that the BJP misplaced the latest elections in Karnataka can also be believed to be affecting its prospects in Telangana.
The “Eatala faction”, BJP sources stated, has cited quite a lot of methods to streamline functioning of the Telangana unit and highlighted issues with the celebration technique for the state polls scheduled for later this yr.
A 3rd BJP supply informed ThePrint that “Eatala knowledgeable Shah that the Congress is gaining momentum within the state and we’re failing in our messaging. The Congress is waging and profitable the notion battle that the BJP and BRS have joined palms. This could dent us and have to be addressed.”
Shah was additionally informed by Eatala, in accordance with the supply, that the celebration’s “technique of attacking BRS won’t get traction till we hit on their corruption instances and their leaders. (Probe) businesses have nonetheless not arrested Okay. Kavitha for graft”.
KCR’s daughter Okay. Kavitha, a BRS chief, has been subjected to questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in reference to the so-called Delhi liquor rip-off.
In line with leaders within the “Eatala faction”, there are a variety of causes behind the BJP dropping momentum in Telangana — one, a recharged Congress after its Karnataka victory is drawing leaders from different events, second, the celebration has a stronger organisation than the BJP within the state.
Thirdly, they stated, BRS minister Okay.T. Rama Rao’s latest assembly with a number of Union ministers within the capital for developmental work has created a notion of the BJP having a truce with the BRS and thus remaining silent on corruption.
“Though we have now made our state unit a lot stronger within the final two years, with out good leaders, we are able to’t win the state election,” one of many leaders stated.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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