BJP leaders lodge complaint against Raghunath Rao and Venkateshwar Goud

A section of BJP leaders in Mancherial has lodged a complaint against Telangana BJP vice president Verabelli Raghunath Rao and district president Nagunuri Venkateshwar Goud, alleging irregularities and anti-party activities. The leaders have sought action and a probe into the allegations.

Mancherial: Telangana BJP vice president Verabelli Raghunath Rao and Mancherial district BJP president Nagunuri Venkateshwar Goud are drawing flak for allegedly committing irregularities, making unilateral decisions and indulging in anti-party activities. Some BJP leaders recently complained against Rao and Goud to the party’s leader Bandi Sanjay, seeking action against the two.

As per the seven-page complaint, Raghunath Rao converted his automobile showroom into the party office in an attempt to control the organisation. Employees of the office are allegedly dominating party leaders. Rao is also accused of appointing members of his community to key positions in place of senior leaders and party activists. The district president, Goud, had become a rubber stamp of Rao.

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During the recent municipal elections, the vice president allegedly fielded weak candidates from various divisions of the Mancherial Municipal Corporation to favour a minister and weaken the BJP. For instance, he gave a ticket to a nominee suggested by the minister while ignoring Bolishetti Ashwin, BJYM district president, who had successfully conducted various programmes.

The vice president did not disclose the quantum of funds granted by the party for campaigning in the municipal polls. He allegedly allocated a huge chunk of the funds sanctioned by the party to a section of candidates and neglected those who had winning prospects, causing losses to the party. He was also accused of misappropriating the funds.

Raghunath Rao and Goud declared newly joined G Mukesh Goud as the BJP candidate for the MMC mayor post, resulting in a debacle for the party. No candidate was announced in any corporation in Telangana. Raghunath Rao ensured that he was hailed and that his photographs were given prominence in publicity material rather than those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior state leaders.

The leaders wanted the party leadership to scrap the district committee headed by Raghunath Rao and Venkateshwar Goud and constitute a new one. They also sought a probe into the alleged wrongdoings of Raghunath Rao.

However, it was learnt that Raghunath Rao and Venkateshwar Goud provided their clarifications to a leader sent by the party to inquire into the allegations. The leader was said to be satisfied with the explanations given by Rao and Venkateshwar Goud. Raghunath Rao clarified that a section of leaders was trying to level baseless allegations against him.