Former Telangana minister Etela Rajender. (File | EPS) 
Telangana

Ex-Telangana minister Etela Rajender, expelled over land grabbing charges, set to join BJP

Sources said Rajender has been in consultation with leaders of both BJP and Congress after his expulsion.

ANI

NEW DELHI: Former Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender is likely to meet BJP president JP Nadda on Monday and join the ruling party at the Centre, sources said.

Nadda is scheduled to meet with Rajender this evening in the presence of the party's Telangana state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

The way for Rajender's entry into BJP has already been cleared at the local level and now after the meeting with Nadda, it will be official, said sources.

Both Etela Rajender and G Vivek are already present in the national capital, while Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar were expected to arrive today.

Rajender was expelled from the cabinet by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and TRS President recently after allegations of land grabbing against him. Following this incident, more allegations were made against Rajender and his family and cases were also registered.

Sources said Rajender has been in consultation with leaders of both BJP and Congress after his expulsion.

According to sources, several rounds of meetings have already been held with Telangana BJP's senior leader and Union Minister of State for Home Kishan Reddy regarding the entry of Rajender into the party.

Etela Rajender is a founding member of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and was the finance minister during KCR's first term. In the second term, KCR gave him the portfolio of Health.

Rajender is the top leader of Telangana's strongest OBC community "Mudiraj", one reason why both BJP and Congress are courting him to join their respective parties, sources said. (ANI)

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