Now, Telangana BJP scrambles to prevent Vivek Venkat Swamy from quitting party

The internal discord in the State BJP unit is continuing with several leaders preparing to jump ship and join rival parties in the coming days

Hyderabad: The internal discord in the State BJP unit is continuing with several leaders preparing to jump ship and join rival parties in the coming days. According to party sources, former MP and senior BJP leader G Vivekanand Venkatswamy is also on the verge of quitting the party.

Though BJP national president JP Nadda tried to pacify him during his recent visit to Hyderabad to attend the party’s Southern States consultative meeting, it is learnt that the senior politician was not convinced with the assurances given by the party chief. Sources said that the BJP leadership has reportedly offered a Rajya Sabha seat to Vivek to stop him from leaving the party.

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Vivek did not attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Warangal public meeting, triggering rumours that he was unhappy in the BJP and that he would be soon leaving the party. However, sources said Vivek had so far not taken any decision with regard to his future plan, though there are unconfirmed reports that he is likely to join the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

It is learnt that Vivek was keen to contest from his old Lok Sabha constituency Peddapalli and was also trying to field his son from the Dharmapuri assembly constituency. Sources said that even Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy was waiting for the right time to leave the party. Already his elder brother and Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is preparing ground for his entry into Congress party, according to sources.

Meanwhile, State BJP election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender has already started feeling the heat with several State leaders reportedly doubting whether he could deliver results in the upcoming assembly polls. He is likely to have a tough time as he not only has to build an election machinery for the party for the upcoming polls to the State assembly, but has also to work in harmony with party leaders.

With several senior leaders including former State chief Bandi Sanjay, former MPs Garikapati Mohan Rao, AP Jithender Reddy and Vijayashanti too keen in heading election committees, Eatala’s job has become very tough. Already a large number of senior leaders are not happy about Eatala being made the Chairman of the election management committee and if they do not cooperate with him, things could go down south for him.