HYDERABAD: The sudden departure of three BC leaders from the BJP appears to have jarred its national leadership at a time when it is trying to project itself as the messiah of the BCs. The joy of luring former MP Boora Narsaiah Goud into the party proved to be short-lived as in quick succession, it received three blows. Hard-boiled Telangana activists M Swamy Goud, Dasoju Sravan, and Budida Bikshamaiah Goud heaping allegations on the BJP that it had no direction or vision for Telangana, crossed the Rubicon.
The BJP had assiduously been building an image for itself that it is BC-friendly as BCs population is more than half in the State. To begin with, the party appointed Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar as BJP State president and then promoted Dr K Laxman as Rajya Sabha member even while he was heading the national BC Morcha.
The party rolled the red carpet for Eatala Rajender when he was hounded out of the KCR’s cabinet. After he resigned from his membership of the Assembly, the party fielded him as its candidate from Huzurabad with the intention to show to the people how much it cared for the BCs. His victory, which was more because of his personal charisma, had come as a shot in the arm for the BJP. As BJP began entertaining the hope for capturing power in the State, it had become more aggressive in tapping BCs and accordingly made Eatala Rajender the chairman of the “joinings committee” which is but heading a demolition team to go behind the enemy lines and fetch BC leaders from other parties. But not one BC leader had joined the BJP ever since.
According to sources, the BJP national leadership is very unhappy over the lack of initiative in identifying the disgruntled elements in other parties and winning them over to the BJP’s side. In this game of poaching, the TRS which has rich experience is much ahead of the BJP. As indications emerge that more BC leaders might change horses midstream, the party leadership is very much riled over the inability of the State leaders to first find out why those who had joined the party were feeling suffocated in the new habitat and then cast the net wide to catch more fish.
If Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy had left Congress and joined the BJP it was not because of any groundwork done at the state level. The national leadership had got in touch with them and managed to cajole them but they are Rseddys anway and, though they are important, at present the thrust area is fortifying the party with more BC leaders.
As the BC leaders are learning the BJP in metronymic rhythm, the national leaders of the party are very unhappy with party president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, legislator Eatala Rajender and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy for not being able to outsmart the TRS.
What has hurt the party leadership more than anything else was that underdog Congress, which is in a run-down State, could win former Minister Boda Janardhan, former MLA Thati Venkateswarlu and Vijaya Reddy, daughter of late Congress legislator P Janardhan Reddy from the TRS.
The exit of BC leaders from the BJP is casting a long shadow on the party which has great plans, going forward. It wants to emerge as the potential alternative to the TRS and if everything goes by its calculations, it wants to even wrest the keys to the castle from KCR.
One main reason attributed to the migration of the leaders to other parties is the absence of anyone in the party to help the newcomers coalesce with one another. There was no attempt to help them feel at home as the groupism bug had infected the party.
Leaders unhappy over no initiatives
The BJP leadership is very unhappy over the lack of initiative in identifying the disgruntled elements in other parties and winning them over to the BJP’s side.