BJP to replace Bandi Sanjay with Kishan Reddy?

The party high command is reportedly planning to also make Eatala Rajender the chairman of the party election committee and accommodate Sanjay in the union cabinet

Hyderabad: With no sign of the internal feuds in the State unit of the BJP coming to an end, the party high command is reportedly seriously considering replacing the incumbent Bandi Sanjay with Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy.

According to party sources, BJP National President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently held discussions with Kishan Reddy, Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender and Bandi Sanjay in Delhi, had reportedly decided to replace Sanjay to bring in some stability in the party. They felt the internal rift between leaders was affecting the party’s prospects in the State.

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Rajender, Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and several other leaders, who joined BJP from rival parties, have been demanding the party high command to replace Sanjay as they were not happy with his style of functioning.

According to party sources, after discussing the issue at length, Amit Shah felt Kishan Reddy would be the right person to lead the party in the State as he has experience of leading the party twice in the past. Kishan Reddy was party president from 2010 to 2014 in united Andhra Pradesh and from 2014 to 2016 in Telangana. The party leadership believes that since Kishan Reddy has good rapport with all the leaders and commands respect among party cadres, he could take all the leaders together.

The party high command is reportedly planning to also make Eatala Rajender the chairman of the party election committee and accommodate Sanjay in the Union cabinet. The party is also thinking on whether Kishan Reddy should be made full time State president or allow him to continue as Union minister with the additional responsibility of the party president.

Sources added that the party leadership was also considering accommodating Sanjay in the Union cabinet so that he would not feel insulted and work for the party independently. Sanjay will be allowed to take up his programme to strengthen the party and react on issues related to Telangana, the sources claimed.

However, it is learnt that Kishan Reddy is not so keen in taking the responsibility as it will be very difficult to prepare the party for the upcoming assembly polls in such a short duration. The assembly polls are scheduled to be held in the State by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Telangana BJP in-charge Tarun Chugh said the party leadership was yet to take any decision with regard to replacing Bandi Sanjay and that reports about change of leadership in Telangana were false and untrue. “We have clarified in the past too that the party has no intention to replace Sanjay, but some people are still carrying out malicious campaign,” he said.

Responding to media reports on the party’s plan to replace him with Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay said he had no information about it. “I am not aware of such developments. Whatever party high commands decides I am ready to abide by it,” he said.