Telangana BJP goes into denial mode as Bandi’s chair shakes

State unit is in a denial mode and is accusing opposition parties of spreading lies to confuse party cadres and people

Hyderabad: Despite multiple media reports regarding a possible change of guard in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Telangana wing, the State unit is in a denial mode and is accusing opposition parties of spreading lies to confuse party cadres and people.

The BJP’s Telangana IT Cell, which swung into action following a growing number of reports on internal feuds in the party and the possibility of a new State president soon, termed the reports as fake on its official Twitter handle.

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Since the last few days, several sections of the media has been carrying reports on the chances of BJP State unit chief Bandi Sanjay being replaced by Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajender or party national vice president DK Aruna.

However, the party’s State leadership is terming the reports false and misleading. They claim that the party high command has no intention to replace Sanjay and that he will be leading the party in the upcoming Assembly polls to be held later this year.

In fact, Sanjay told reporters that there was no talk of any change in party positions and that this was mere propaganda by some opposition party leaders to create confusion in the BJP rank and file.

However, party sources say that Sanjay is aware of the party high command’s plan and that he even told his supporters that he will abide by the decision of the party and take up whatever responsibility is given to him.

Several senior party leaders of the State unit are also engaged in firefighting exercises, all the while claiming that the party high command has no plan to replace Sanjay with Etala or Aruna as both have joined from rival parties and that it would be difficult for the party cadre to accept them.

Etala joined BJP from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Aruna came from the Congress and since both the leaders have acceptances within their respective constituencies only, they may not be able to make an impact in State politics, party sources say.

“With Assembly polls round the corner, I don’t think that the party high command will make changes in the leadership. This will prove counterproductive. Bandi with his aggressiveness has been successful in attracting the people towards the party. His padayatra was very successful. Removing him will not be in the interest of the party,” a senior party leader claimed.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders Vivek Venkatswamy, Vijayashanti, Boora Narsaiah Goud and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy are said to have held a meeting at former MP AP Jitender Reddy’s residence to discuss a key position being offered to Etala Rajender by the party high command. It is learnt that they were annoyed with the decision to hand over the chairman post of the party’s campaigning committee to Etala.

With the central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union Home Minister Amit Shah, maintaining silence on the issue, there is confusion among the party’s State leaders and cadres. It is learnt that there will be clarity on the issue only after Shah’s scheduled public meeting in Khammam on June 15.