VIJAYAWADA: In all likelihood, BJP MLC Somu Veerraju will be anointed state BJP chief. Minister P Manikyala Rao, who was, so far, the frontrunner for the post, himself on Monday announced that he had proposed Veerraju’s name for the office. Official confirmation is expected sooner than later.
Though the appointment of a new chief to the BJP’s AP unit has been pending for a while, the saffron party’s Central leadership seems to have taken its time in coming to a consensus on the matter after the TDP snapped ties with the Centre.State BJP leaders have been lobbying for the post covertly and at one point the BJP is understood to have almost zeroed down on Manikyala Rao.
But the leader who recently resigned as Minister from the state scorched speculations saying he had proposed that Somu Veerraju be nominated to the post.Sources close to the former Minister said an interesting conversation took place when he ran into AP TDP chief K Kala Venkata Rao and Women’s Commission chairperson Nannapaneni Rajakumari in the lobby of the AP Legislature on Monday.
When Rajakumari congratulated Rao, he asked her to reserve the wishes for Veerraju, who according to him would be the state BJP boss.“I have suggested Veerraju’s name for the post and believe he will be the right choice to deal with you (TDP),’’ Manikyala Rao said before leaving the lobby.
Several BJP leaders TNIE spoke to said apart from Veerraju, there were several aspirants vying for the AP BJP president’s post and it couldn’t be said for certain who would finally make the cut.
Though the appointment of a new chief to the BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit has been pending for a while, the saffron party’s Central leadership seems to have taken its time in coming to a consensus on the matter after the Telugu Desam Party snapped ties with the National Democratic Aliance government.
Many lobbying
Several BJP leaders TNIE spoke to said there were several aspirants vying for the post and it couldn’t be said for certain who would finally make the cut.