HYDERABAD: The announcement of new presidents for BJP district units has stirred a hornet’s nest. Internal dissension came out in the open with the party’s three-time MLA from Goshamahal, T Raja Singh, raising a banner of revolt against the party leadership.
There have been rumblings in the party, though a little subdued, for the last 10 days when the party began announcing new presidents for the party district units. Some disgruntled leaders, who could not make the cut, voiced their opinion openly, which is very unusual in the saffron party. They said that the party had chosen those who were not worthy of the position, neglecting the old guard.
The issue became very heated with Raja Singh letting out his bottled-up emotions against the leadership, alleging that the party doesn’t need hardcore activists. He went on to say that he is the last person to do “brokerism” to be in the good books of the leadership and warned the party that he would show his strength in the coming days.
His grievance was against the selection of the new president for the Golconda-Goshamahal unit. He alleged that the party ignored his advice to pick a BC or SC leader for the post. Party insiders said that he has given an ultimatum to the state president and Union minister G Kishan Reddy to change the Golconda-Goshamahal unit president within two days.
He said if this does not happen, he would quit the party. Raja Singh’s ultimatum to Kishan has sparked a high-voltage debate in party circles as to what is in store in the next few days. If the row continues, it might sully the image of the BJP.
Meanwhile, the appointment of new presidents for Sangareddy, Mancherial, Nalgonda and Peddapalli districts is also not without rancour. The party leaders wonder if it would have an effect on the appointment of a new state president, which is long overdue. Already, a section of leaders in Nalgonda staged a protest against the appointment of the new district president. The dissident leaders lodged a strong protest with MoS for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
In Sangareddy, the party appointed the wife of MLC graduates constituency candidate C Anji Reddy as president, which did not go down well with another camp.
They are taking serious exception to her appointment, as it meant that the party was benefiting the same family unduly. In Peddapalli and Mancherial districts, a group of leaders are up in arms against senior party leaders and MPs for ignoring them in the selection of the new president.
Sparks are flying around, and there is apprehension that they might soon turn into an unmanageable wildfire, casting a shadow on the appointment of a new president for the state party unit. One has to wait and watch how the party will set its house in order.