From discontent to departure: Raja Singh’s BJP exit was only a matter of time

Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh resigned from the BJP, citing disappointment over the appointment of N Ramchander Rao as State president. Singh, who had long expressed discontent with the party’s decisions, said lakhs of workers were disheartened by the move

Hyderabad: Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh’s resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday was a long-brewing development that finally culminated in his exit, amid mounting discontent with the party’s State leadership.

While the move may have surprised many, BJP insiders revealed that the MLA’s departure was only a matter of time, given his visible unrest over the past several months. Singh had repeatedly voiced dissent over key party decisions and had distanced himself from some party programmes and meetings.

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The rift became public in February, when Raja Singh openly expressed displeasure over the appointment of T Uma Mahendra as president of the Golconda-Goshamahal unit. He accused the BJP leadership of ignoring his recommendation to appoint a Backward Class (BC) or Scheduled Caste (SC) leader. He further alleged that Uma Mahendra had links with the AIMIM.

“If the party thinks my recommendations are not useful, then I am prepared to quit,” Singh had warned then, in a veiled dig at union Minister and BJP State president G Kishan Reddy.

Tensions escalated when the BJP nominated Goutham Rao as its MLC candidate for the Hyderabad Local Bodies Constituency. Raja Singh accused the leadership of promoting internal groupism and prioritising personal interests over the party’s future.

In April, in an apparent damage-control effort, union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay met Raja Singh at the Hanuman Temple in Akashpuri. After a closed door meeting, Sanjay had described Singh as a “hardcore Hindu” and assured that any internal issues would be resolved.

However, Monday’s media reports on the election of N Ramchander Rao as the new State BJP president appears to have been the final straw for Singh, who was aspiring for the State president post and reportedly wanted to file his nomination.