HYDERABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has summoned the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to New Delhi for an important meeting focused on strengthening the party, resolving internal issues and addressing the cold war between key leaders. The meeting, which is scheduled for 12 pm on Tuesday, has generated interest within the saffron party’s State unit, as it is expected to resolve the issues causing uncertainty within the party.
The BJP has been conducting street corner meetings at every booth, totalling almost 7,500 in the State. The leaders have expressed happiness that the party cadre has been energised by these meetings.
At this juncture, the meeting called by Shah has also created curiosity on whether or not Bandi Sanjay Kumar will continue as the State unit president until the end of the State elections. It must be noted that BJP Telangana in-charge and party general secretary Tarun Chugh has recently denied rumours of any proposed change and emphasised the amount of trust that the leadership has placed in the Karimnagar MP.
The saffron party leaders anticipate that the upcoming meeting with Shah is of great significance, even though they are also expected to attend the closing ceremony of the street corner meetings, which is also important. However, the Shah meeting takes precedence. Apart from Sanjay Kumar, Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, party’s OBC Morcha president and Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman, Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender and party national vice-president DK Aruna and other delegates are expected to meet Shah on Tuesday.
Political curiosity
The arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has further sparked political curiosity in the State regarding the upcoming meeting of State leaders with Shah. This curiosity is further fueled by allegations of involvement in the Delhi liquor scam against Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha.
Additionally, former MP and senior BJP leader Vivek Venkataswamy, on Monday, made sensational comments suggesting that Kavitha may soon be arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor scam. On the other hand, the party has been closely monitoring the activities of its leaders in the State, given the ongoing cold war between them.
Matter of concern
The party leadership has received reports that certain leaders have been meeting with prominent personalities in the State, which is a matter of concern for the party.
According to sources, Amit Shah is likely to enquire why not a single leader has joined the party after the Munugode bypoll. They also stated that Shah, who recently visited Telangana and met with State leaders during his programme at the National Police Academy, has asked them to come to New Delhi with a full report on the joinings. Additionally, the leaders have expressed the hope that Shah will discuss his upcoming tour of Adilabad and other parliamentary segments in the second week of March.
Following Shah’s tour, Sanjay Kumar and joinings committee chairman Eatala Rajender visited New Delhi, but they did not have any meetings with the party leadership or other senior leaders. This has been a topic of discussion within the party. Now, the upcoming meeting with Shah is causing tension among senior leaders as they are unsure about what he will ask or review.