VIJAYAWADA: With internal elections for BJP Mandal and District Presidents underway, several leaders have begun vying for the position of State President.
While new Mandal Presidents are required to assume office by January 2, the election of District Presidents, originally scheduled for January 5, may be delayed. Once the District Presidents are elected, the BJP high command is expected to announce the new State party chief after Sankranti.
Although speculation is rife regarding the appointment, it has been learnt that D Purandeswari, the current State BJP chief, is seeking to secure a position in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
She joined the BJP after the bifurcation of the State in 2014 and has held various national-level positions before taking charge as the AP BJP chief in July 2023. She has been credited with playing a key role in supporting the high command during elections and maintaining strong relations with NDA allies — the TDP and JSP.
As the BJP seeks to strengthen its presence in southern India, the high command is looking for a leader with a strong track record who strengthen the party’s grassroots network. Sources said four leaders are key contenders for the post: Adoni MLA Dr PV Parthasarathi, Vijayawada West MLA Sujana Chowdary, MLC PVN Madhav, and senior party leader Purighalla Raghuram.
Caste equations may play a role in new chief’s choice
If the party opts to appoint a public representative, it may choose between Parthasarathi and Sujana Chowdary. Should the BJP prioritise ties with the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), it may select either PVN Madhav or Purighalla Raghuram for the top post.
Notably, Parthasarathi is seen as a strong contender for the State president’s position due to his close ties with the party high command and his affiliation with the RSS. As a member of the Valmiki community from Rayalaseema, his appointment would be significant, as no leader from this region has ever been appointed to lead the BJP in the State.
Parthasarathi has held various positions in the BJP at both the State and national levels and has contested elections, including a failed bid for the Kurnool MP seat. However, he was successful in securing the Adoni MLA seat.
On the other hand, Sujana Chowdary made history by becoming the first BJP candidate to win the Vijayawada West constituency. He joined the BJP in 2019 after breaking away from TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, who had exited the NDA before the elections and formed an alliance with Congress. Before this, Chowdary served as Minister of State in the Modi Cabinet for four years and was also the TDP’s Parliamentary Party leader. His strong connections with the BJP high command, as well as with TDP and Jana Sena, could work in his favour.
Asked if Chowdary’s chances to become the State BJP chief might be affected as he belongs to the same community as that of Purandeswari, his supporters pointed out that Kanna Lakshminarayana and Somu Veerraju, who belong to the same caste, were appointed as the State BJP Presidents consecutively.
Another key contender, PVN Madhav, is a second-generation BJP leader with strong ties to the RSS. His father, PV Chalapathi Rao, served as the State BJP chief for six years from 1980 to 1986. Madhav followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming an MLC and representing the BC community.
Purighalla Raghuram, a Brahmin, enjoys the support of Prime Minister Modi and has strong backing from the RSS. However, it is worth noting that in the past 30 years, the BJP has never appointed a Brahmin as the State BJP president. Raghuram could be a potential choice if the party decides to appoint a Brahmin leader to the top post.
