Telangana BJP in a fix over selection of party floor leader in Assembly

The State BJP leadership is in a dilemma over selection of its floor leader in the assembly, as six out of the eight members are first timers.

Hyderabad: The State BJP leadership is in a dilemma over selection of its floor leader in the assembly, as six out of the eight members are first timers.

Party sources say the State leaders are not in favour of making the senior most member Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh as the floor leader as they are not sure about his ability to present the party’s stand on various issues. His poor command over Telugu language and important issues and subjects is being seen as reasons for not considering him for the post.

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“In the last assembly, Raja Singh was made the floor leader as he was the only one who managed to retain his seat and he continued in his post even after Eatala Rajender and Raghunandan Rao joined him after winning by-polls. Even after Raja Singh was suspended from the party, the post was kept vacant. But this time there are eight members and hence he cannot be made floor leader on the basis of seniority,” a BJP leader said.

On the other hand, though Nirmal MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy is entering the assembly for the second time and has knowledge about the functioning of the House, the party considers him an outsider as he joined the party a few months ago from Congress and electing him as floor leader may not go down well with other members, the sources said. However, a section of the party leaders are backing him as he has the experience of working as an MLA in the past and knowledge about various issues being faced by the State.

There is also a group which is exerting pressure on the party leadership to make the giant killer Katipalli Venkataramana Reddy, who defeated former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and current Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in Kamareddy during the assembly polls, as the floor leader.

However, as Venkataramana Reddy is new to State legislature and is mostly confined to his constituency politics only. It is doubtful that the party high command will consider his candidature, the sources said adding that the BJP State leadership will take decision on the selection of party floor leader only after the elected members take oath from the newly-elected Speaker on December 14.