Telangana BJP leaders find it tough to get along with Kishan Reddy

Sources said Venkat Reddy and his wife were forced to leave the party, to which they were associated with for over 40 years, as their attempts to discuss issues with Kishan Reddy failed.

Hyderabad: The situation of BJP is going from bad to worse in Telangana with the discontent within the party sharply growing every passing day. Ever since G Kishan Reddy took over the reins of the party in the State, open expressions of discontent by the party’s rank and file have become a frequent affair.

Many leaders in the State BJP are reportedly unhappy with Kishan Reddy’s way of functioning and lack of accessibility. Party leaders feel that Kishan Reddy’s longtime close associate Venkat Reddy and his wife, Bagh Amberpet division corporator Padma Venkat Reddy, resigning from the party and joining the ruling BRS, was an indication of how his behaviour was affecting the party.

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Sources said Venkat Reddy and his wife were forced to leave the party, to which they were associated with for over 40 years, as their attempts to discuss issues with Kishan Reddy failed. In fact, the State BJP president was not willing to talk to the couple. Venkat Reddy’s resignation is just a tip of the iceberg, with several leaders waiting for an opportunity to leave the party, sources said.

Soon after his appointment as the Telangana BJP head, Kishan Reddy suspended Yadadri senior BJP leader Jitta Bala Krishna Reddy and then issued suspension letter to party vice-president and former MLA, Yennam Srinivas Reddy for anti-party activities. Additionally, Kishan Reddy had earlier threatened to suspend sarpanches from Nizamabad districts when they staged a protest against MP Arvind Dharmapuri.

Even former minister and five times MLA from Tandur A Chandrashekar, who was unhappy over the removal of Bandi Sanjay from the post of State party chief, resigned from the party within days after Kishan Reddy was appointed president and joined Congress.

Sources in the party said a large number of senior leaders including Huzurabad MLA and party election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender, former MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, former MPs AP Jitender Reddy and Vivek Venkatswamy were finding it difficult to work with Kishan Reddy.

Many leaders thought that after Bandi Sanjay was shunted out of the party president’s post and Kishan Reddy was brought in his place, there will be freedom and stability in the party, but to their surprise the situation has gone from bad to worse, with several leaders leaving the party due to the attitude of the new chief.

In his early term as State Unit chief too Kishan Reddy had problem with senior BJP leader and Harayana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and several other leaders.

“BJP is in total disarray and in no position to provide a viable alternative to the ruling BRS,” a BJP leader said..