Telangana turmoil: BJP likely to replace Bandi Sanjay with DK Aruna

BJP’s central leadership is seriously considering replacing the incumbent Bandi Sanjay following demand from a large number of senior party leaders

Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing multiple internal feuds within the BJP Telangana unit, a change of guard appears to be on the cards, with the party’s central leadership seriously considering replacing the incumbent Bandi Sanjay following demand from a large number of senior party leaders. It is learned that the party may announce the name of the new BJP unit chief in the next three to four days.

According to party sources, BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and national general secretary BL Santosh held discussions on the matter for four or five days in Delhi and reportedly decided to replace Sanjay with a more acceptable leader. Though Sanjay has the blessings of the top brass of the party, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, the party leadership has no choice but to replace him following growing dissidence in the party.

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Sanjay completed three years as the State president in March and was given an extension till next year as the leadership wanted him to lead the party in the upcoming Assembly polls.

However, after the Karnataka debacle, the BJP leadership appears to have decided not to take risks and hence, is taking into consideration the suggestions of its senior leaders in Telangana and making changes accordingly. The party cannot afford to go to polls with a divided house and win, hence with just a few months left for the assembly polls in the State, it is trying to resolve all the issues, a senior party leader said.

“The immediate task of the high command is to keep its flock together in the State,” he said.

Meanwhile, though Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender, who had been vocal against Sanjay since he joined the party, is being considered frontrunner for the top post, party sources said the leadership want him to head the campaign committee so that he could strengthen the party at the grassroot level.

The leadership is said to be more inclined in handing over the reins to party’s national vice-president DK Aruna. According to party sources, the decision to make Aruna party chief was taken after BJP Telangana in-charges held opinion polls among leaders and cadres in all districts. It is learnt that Eatala Rajender, who has been camping in the national capital since the last two days, has been informed about the decision of the party high command and he has reportedly agreed to it. The party leadership has already summoned State unit senior leaders to Delhi to inform them about the decision to replace Sanjay, sources said, adding that the party was likely to announce the name of the new party chief in the next three to four days.

Bandi Sanjay’s working style and habit of not taking seniors into confidence before taking decisions too are said to have created problems for him, with a large number of seniors demanding his replacement.