Turncoat leaders become liability for BJP in Telangana

Barring Huzurabad MLA and BJP election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender and national vice president DK Aruna, none of these newcomers.

Hyderabad: Turncoat leaders have become a liability for the BJP in Telangana as most of them are interested in getting tickets for themselves and their people but not interested in strengthening the party in the State, a sentiment that is growing stronger by the day among senior leaders and workers who have been in the party for long.

Barring Huzurabad MLA and BJP election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender and national vice president DK Aruna, none of these newcomers. who joined the BJP from its rival parties, are taking part in election campaigning wholeheartedly, it is said.

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Party sources point out the cases of former MPs Vijayashanthi, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and G Vivek Venkatswamy, who have been included in various election committees, but are not seen taking up any kind of major activities. These leaders are only seen when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union Home Minister Amit Shah or BJP national president JP Nadda visit the State, other party leaders say. They are hardly seen in the party office or other State level meetings either, they complain, adding that on the other hand, some of these leaders were even skipping even the Prime Minister’s public meetings here.

Vivek Venkatswamy, who is heading the BJP manifesto committee, initially held a few meetings with the committee members, but is now said to be again keeping a distance from party activities. He is reportedly unhappy that the names of candidates recommended by him for assembly constituencies falling under the Peddapalli Lok Sabha were not considered by the party leadership.

Vijayashanthi, the party sources say, was last seen in the State party office when union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy took charge as BJP State president. Her political activities, they allege, are confined to posting her views on social media platforms.

Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who is said to be not so keen to contest the Assembly elections, too was allegedly staying away from party activities since the last few months. These leaders holding secret meetings too has not gone well with the party leadership, which has reportedly warned them against it.

Sources in the party said the BJP State leaders were not happy with these leaders as they were not doing their part in strengthening the party in the State. The BJP leadership was expecting these leaders to play a proactive role in the party and create confidence among the party functionaries, but their attitude has become a problem for the party, they say.

Former Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who resigned recently from BJP and joined Congress, too was in this group and had hinted that the rest of them too would be joining him shortly.

Senior BJP leaders allege that these leaders have spoiled the entire atmosphere of the party and made it weak. “These leaders forced the party leadership to replace Bandi Sanjay with Kishan Reddy. And now they are creating trouble for Kishan Reddy. The BJP had emerged as an alternative to the ruling BRS in the State, but due to the attitude of these leaders, the party has been pushed to the third position,” a BJP leader said.