Godavari Anji Reddy attracts strong opposition with autocratic decisions

Internal differences have surfaced within the BJP in Sangareddy, with senior leaders questioning the functioning of district president Godavari and MLC Ch Anji Reddy. Discontent over leadership decisions and plans to contest from Patancheru has reportedly widened divisions within the party

Sangareddy: Strong differences have come to the fore within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Sangareddy over what are being termed as “autocratic decisions” of MLC Ch Anji Reddy and his wife Godavari, who is also the party district president. During a party training session organised recently in Sangareddy, former Zaheerabad MP BB Patil questioned the functioning of Godavari, accusing her of not informing key leaders about party meetings.

Raising various issues within the party in the presence of MP M Raghunandan Rao and other key BJP leaders, Patil said Godavari was taking decisions without consulting other leaders. Patil was also reportedly upset as the party leadership installed flex boards in the Zaheerabad constituency without mentioning his name. Another key leader, Ashish Goud, son of former Patancheru MLA Nandishwar Goud, also strongly objected to her decisions, complaining that he was not being invited to party programmes. Nandishwar Goud had contested the 2023 Assembly elections from Patancheru and lost. Patil and Ashish Goud threatened to bring the issues to the notice of the State and Central party leadership.

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Since Godavari and Anji Reddy were focusing on contesting from Patancheru in the coming Assembly elections, they were reportedly sidelining Ashish Goud from party meetings. The couple’s plan to contest from Patancheru has also faced strong opposition from loyalists of Medak MP M Raghunandan Rao, who shares a strong connection with the constituency. Since Raghunandan Rao secured a majority of votes in the Lok Sabha elections in the Patancheru Assembly segment months after the BJP candidate finished fourth in the Assembly elections there, his loyalists want him to contest the 2028 Assembly elections from the constituency. Raghunandan Rao and Godavari Anji Reddy have been participating in multiple programmes across the constituency to strengthen their position.