‘Outsiders’ irk local BJP cadre
Party appoints leaders from other States to oversee GHMC polls
Hyderabad: A desperate BJP, seeking to gain a toe-hold in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, has ruffled feathers in a big way in the party’s local rank and file by appointing ‘outsiders’ to oversee the December 1 election to the corporation and rolling out the red carpet for defectors from other parties. One immediate reaction to the unsavoury orchestration by the saffron party’s leadership was the self-immolation bid by a grassroot-level worker in Musheerabad division in front of the OBC Morcha National president Dr K Laxman’s camp office here on Wednesday.
The unfortunate incident reflects the seething anger among the BJP workers against the unwelcome moves made by the party leadership, sending out a clear message that none of the BJP leaders in the State are worth their salt when it comes to handling an election. The incident occurred hours before Congress leader and former Hyderabad Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy joined the BJP.
The appointment of BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav and four deputies from other States to oversee the GHMC polls ignoring Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, party’s State unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and other State leaders, has not gone down well with the party cadre. The question doing the rounds in BJP circles is whether the Central leadership of the party believes that there is a leadership bankruptcy in the State.
Resentment among BJP cadre against ‘defectors’ from other parties is running high. Musheerabad division witnessed a spontaneous dharna by local BJP cadre who were opposed to the allocation of party ticket to a candidate who recently migrated to the saffron party from Congress.
“We have been in the BJP for decades. Don’t we deserve at least a phone call from our leaders before taking a decision like this? We are ready to support any BJP candidate from Musheerabad division who has been in the party right from the beginning,” the agitated workers said.
Meanwhile, a worker took out a bottle and sprayed the contents on himself and others standing next to him. The security at the party camp office, however, responded immediately and poured water on the agitated party worker.
Following the party’s success in Bihar polls, the BJP leadership sent party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav to Hyderabad with the hope that he would be able to turn the tides in favour of the party in the GHMC election. Even though the State is represented by Kishan Reddy at the Centre, party president JP Nadda preferred Yadav over him, and party sources say the move has Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s blessings.
Besides Yadav, the party appointed four deputies – Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, BJP’s Chief Whip in Maharashtra Assembly Ashish Shelar, Gujarat BJP leader Pradipsinh Vaghela and Karnataka legislator Satish Reddy — all outsiders. The glaring absence of local leaders has raised many eyebrows in political circles.
Kishan Reddy put up a meek defence stating that party leaders from other States such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Bihar were being brought in in view of the huge presence of north Indian communities in Secunderabad area.
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