Eatala, Rajagopal raise perception of ‘BJP-BRS truce’ in ‘honest’ discussion with Amit Shah

Related: Speculations over re-entry of Rajagopal Reddy to Congress

Eatala’s concern

The two Telangana leaders are understood to have pointed out that an impression was gaining ground that the BJP has declared a ceasefire with BRS and, confirming the suspicion, appointments with Union ministers were being granted to BRS Minister KT Rama Rao, ostensibly to make representations about development works.

Rama Rao met with Union Ministers for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on 24 June.

The Telangana duo said this might make the BJP’s anti-BRS credentials suspect in the eyes of the people.

Even before the meeting, Rajagopal Reddy’s made some comments that raised the suspicion that the two leaders were showing an interest in Congress.

Rajagopal Reddy, who left the Congress party and joined the saffron fold last year, said: “After the Karnataka elections, there is a change in people’s perception (about the Congress).”

He also said he would raise the issue of BRS MLC K Kavita — daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao — and request the BJP to ensure action is taken against her for her alleged role in the Delhi excise scam.

He said that the delay and inaction were eroding the credibility of the BJP in its fight against the BRS in the state.

Speaking to reporters late Saturday night in Delhi, Rajagopal Reddy said: “We have spoken without hesitation and have given our honest feedback on what is the need of the hour for the party in Telangana. We have conveyed that it isn’t too late even now and the party should take the correct decisions quickly to ensure BJP is ahead in the state.”

Related: Eatala Rajender, Rajagopal Reddy skip party’s ‘Intintiki BJP’ event

United against KCR

It is clear that both the Telangana leaders wear their hatred for KCR on their sleeves and have donned saffron robes with the sole aim of defeating him in the coming Assembly elections.

They are alien to BJP’s core Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology and its ethos, and joined the BJP purely to take on KCR, as the Telangana chief minister is popularly referred to.

In fact, at the time of joining the BJP after being ousted from the BRS (then called TRS), Eatala Rajender had obtained an assurance from the party that it would not change its colors and become friendly with KCR at a later point of time.

By repeatedly making supplications to the party to steer clear of the BRS, they appeared to have dropped subtle hints that they have now another option before them — the Congress — if the saffron party continues to nurse the suspected blooming of its friendship with KCR’s pink party. The two had even skipped a key party event — the ‘Intintiki BJP’ programme — last week.

There has been intense speculation that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy is not averse to do a prodigal son and return to the Congress. In fact, in the past he had said that he was getting offers from the Congress, implying he might return to the fold if the saffron party continues to wave an olive branch at the BRS.

Related: KCR has covert operatives in BJP, says Eatala Rajender

Differences over Hindutva strategy

Eatala Rajender and Rajagopal, even before BJP seemingly began smoking the peace pipe with the BRS, were unhappy over BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar focussing only on Hindutva to polarise voters in state.

Rajender, who began his political career steeped in the Communist ideology, was particularly unhappy over the BJP’s line and, after the debacle of the party in Karnataka, he is apparently doubly sure that the Hindutva slogan does not jell in the South — and more so in Telangana.

On the other hand, he fears it might consolidate the Muslims in favour of Congress or the BRS.

Now, with the distance between the BJP and BRS narrowing, the Muslims might move towards the Congress as happened in Karnataka, where the minorities bid adieu to the JD(S) and embraced the Congress after former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy began orbiting around the BJP.

Related: ‘Best friend’ to ‘foe’ to ‘good friend’: KCR’s many takes on Modi

Where the BRS stands

Though it is not clear what the BJP wants in return for the central agencies “not harassing” Kavitha, except the unclear message that it seeks BRS support in the Lok Sabha elections, there has been a perceptible scaling down of attacks on the BRS.

In return, KCR, too, has not been talking too much of Opposition unity and, precisely for this reason, he was not even invited to the Patna conclave the other day, since the leaders were not very convinced of his anti-BJP bonafides.

KTR, who was in Delhi on the same day, in fact took potshots at the conclave, saying what was needed was not Opposition unity, but “unity of the people” — whatever that meant — thus singing his father’s tune which sometimes runs in riddles.

After the meeting with Amit Shah and JP Nadda, the Rajender and Rajagopal spoke briefly with the media, saying that they had made some suggestions for strengthening the party in Telangana.

They reiterated that their sole aim in joining the BJP was to bring down the BRS government in the state.

They said they apprised the party leadership that the people still believed that it was the BJP alone that could take on the BRS, and measures had to be taken to ensure that the party did not send signals to the contrary.