BJP loses ground in erstwhile Medak, cadre demoralised ahead of local polls

The BJP in erstwhile Medak district faces a leadership crisis ahead of Telangana’s local body elections. Several leaders quit or turned inactive after recent polls, leaving the cadre demoralised. Observers say the contest will be between Congress and BRS

Sangareddy: As the Election Commission readies to conduct local body elections in Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in erstwhile Medak district appears to have lost its footing after the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Three of the 10 candidates who contested on BJP tickets in the last Assembly elections, Pulimamidi Raju (Sangareddy), Ramachandar Rajanarasimha (Zaheerabad) and Panja Vijay Kumar (Medak), resigned from the party’s primary membership and joined other parties. Of the remaining candidates, P Babu Mohan (Andole), Nandishwar Goud (Patancheru) and Murali Yadav (Narsapur) have turned inactive.

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Although Etala Rajendar and Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao lost in the Gajwel and Dubbak Assembly constituencies, both later entered Parliament by winning the Lok Sabha elections. Yet, they too have not invested in strengthening the party base locally. In Dubbak and Gajwel constituencies, no one has stepped up to look after party affairs.

Dudi Srikanth Reddy (Siddipet) distanced himself from party activities after Bairi Shankar Mudiraj was appointed district president. In Narayankhed, only Sangappa has remained active despite his electoral defeat.

While the BJP marginally improved its vote share, winning Medak Lok Sabha and finishing second in Zaheerabad, it has lost ground due to a vacuum in leadership. The cadre, with no one to lead from the front, is said to be demoralised ahead of the local body elections.

Sangareddy district president C Godavari and her husband C Anji Reddy, who won the graduate MLC seat, have allegedly failed to identify new leadership in constituencies. Their inability to keep party leaders together has further weakened the BJP’s base. Despite hailing from Patancheru, they reportedly made no visible efforts to strengthen the party there. After the Assembly elections, the leadership void in Zaheerabad, Sangareddy and Andole has remained unaddressed.

The situation worsened in Siddipet after district president Shankar Mudiraj allegedly advised members of his community to vote for Congress candidates in the local body polls. In Narsapur, Murali Yadav is considering switching loyalties in search of better opportunities. Even Zaheerabad candidate BB Patil became inactive after his defeat.

Political observers say the BJP is unlikely to make an impact in the local body elections. The contest is expected to remain between the ruling Congress and the BRS, which has consistently taken up public issues. Analysts add that the saffron party’s fortunes in the district may revive only if State BJP chief N Ramachander Rao gives special attention to the region.