Hyderabad: Amidst media reports suggesting a possible leadership change in the Telangana wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the State unit has denied these claims and accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation to confuse party members and the public.
The BJP’s Telangana IT Cell took to Twitter to dismiss the reports as fake. Recent media coverage has speculated about the potential replacement of BJP State unit chief Bandi Sanjay with Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajender or party national vice president DK Aruna.
However, the State leadership of the party has refuted these reports, asserting that there are no plans to replace Sanjay. They state that Sanjay will lead the party in the upcoming Assembly polls scheduled for later this year.
Sanjay himself has denied any discussions regarding changes in party positions and labeled the rumors as propaganda by opposition leaders to sow confusion among BJP members.
Despite these statements, party sources suggest that Sanjay is aware of the party’s intentions and has informed his supporters that he will accept any responsibility assigned to him by the party.
Senior party leaders in the State are working to address the situation and emphasize that there are no plans to replace Sanjay with Etala or Aruna. They argue that both leaders joined the BJP from rival parties and may face difficulties gaining acceptance among party members in the State.
Party insiders believe that with the Assembly polls approaching, the central leadership is unlikely to make changes in the leadership, as it could have adverse effects. Sanjay has been successful in attracting public support through his assertive approach and well-received padayatra (foot march). Removing him, according to a senior party leader, would not be in the party’s best interest.
Amidst this uncertainty, the central leadership reportedly offered an important role to Etala Rajender, leading senior BJP leaders such as Vivek Venkatswamy, Vijayashanti, Boora Narsaiah Goud, and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy to convene a meeting for discussion. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision to appoint Etala as the chairman of the party’s campaigning committee.
The lack of clarification from central leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has led to confusion among the BJP’s State leaders and members. It is anticipated that there will be more clarity on the issue following Shah’s scheduled public meeting in Khammam on June 15.
