HYDERABAD: Political activity has intensified within the state unit of the BJP as party leaders eye a berth when the expected expansion of the Union Cabinet takes place. Many of these leaders say that the POCSO case involving the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has forced them to recalibrate their aspirations for a berth.
The POCSO case has led to leaders assessing whether the controversy could affect Sanjay’s prospects in the Cabinet and alter the party’s internal equations in Telangana. Though they do not say so publicly, several of these aspirants believe that the development may create an opening for those aspiring for berths in the much-anticipated reshuffle.
Sources in the saffron party said the national leadership is closely monitoring developments related to the case and has sought inputs from the state leadership, intelligence agencies and other channels. A senior BJP leader insisted that the party views such allegations seriously, irrespective of whether the allegations are eventually proven or dismissed, as they could affect the organisation’s image.
Party leaders maintained that the BJP would wait for the outcome of the police investigation before taking any decision. However, the controversy has already exposed differing views within the state unit, with some leaders privately backing Sanjay while others have chosen to remain silent until more clarity emerges.
The matter also figures in wider discussions over the BJP’s political strategy in Telangana. Party leaders point to the BJP’s recent electoral gains in states such as West Bengal and Assam, along with its performance in Puducherry, as signs of growing momentum nationally. Within the Telangana BJP, there is a view that the party's central leadership is likely to sharpen its focus on the state ahead of future elections.
Party insiders also see Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Telangana as an indication of the leadership’s renewed attention to the state. According to senior leaders, the party leadership had been considering bringing Sanjay back as Telangana BJP president before the next Assembly elections. However, the present controversy is believed to have created uncertainty around those plans.
Against this backdrop, the proposed Union Cabinet expansion has generated fresh lobbying within the party. Leaders said there is a possibility of Telangana getting one or two berths, either as Ministers of State or Cabinet ministers, as the BJP seeks to strengthen its presence in the state.
At the same time, the internal rivalry among a section of MPs persists. According to party sources, two MPs who have allegedly complained against each other to the national leadership are separately lobbying for Cabinet positions while also attempting to outmanoeuvre each other politically. Leaders said continued infighting could hurt the prospects of both.
The developments have created unease within the Telangana BJP, with the leadership aware that a series of urban local body elections, including those in GHMC, Malkajgiri, Cyberabad, Warangal, Siddipet and Khammam, is on the horizon.