With Reddy having met BJP's 'master strategist' Amit Shah, state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay has said the long wait is almost over
Rajagopal Reddy's disenchantment with the Congress can be traced to 2019, when was expecting to be made legislature party leader. (Creative Commons)
Seemingly bringing the curtain down on the three-year-long suspense on when Congress legislator Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy would don saffron robes, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar announced Wednesday, 27 July, that the long wait was over and, before long, the lawmaker of the grand old party would be shaking hands with him.
Rajagopal Reddy has ever been a maverick politician, always praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and yet not leaving the Congress. The grand old party leaders too did not take action against him for his anti-Congress utterances, hoping that he would remain with them.
In fact, the Munugode MLA is seen frequently more in the company of the BJP leaders than his partymen, which is why it seemed it was just a matter of time before he takes the leap of faith.
Rajagopal’s disenchantment with the Congress can be traced to 2019, when was expecting to be made legislature party leader. It was then that he described the Congress as a “dying party” and expressed a desire to leave.
The appointment of A. Revanth Reddy as state party president aggravated matters, as Rajagopal considered himself the front-runner for the position.
It has been given to understand that, initially, he did not resign and join the BJP for fear of being disqualified, but he does not seem to harbour that fear now as much water has flown down the Musi since then.
His fearlessness springs from the fact that, at this point of time, neither the Congress nor the TRS wants a by-election as it might set a bad precedent for either of them if the result goes against them ahead of the assembly elections next year.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar made the announcement that Rajagopal Reddy has decided to join the BJP after the latter met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
What ruffled the feathers of the Congress leaders was Rajagopal’s reluctance to defend Sonia Gandhi in the Enforcement Directorate case and, at the same time, bringing up the cash-for-vote scam in which PCC president A Revanth Reddy is involved, when he met Shah.
Though it is not clear what assurance was given to Rajagopal by Shah, it is more or less certain that he would be entrusted an important responsibility after he crosses the Rubicon.
In fact, Rajagopal wanted the position of Telangana unit president, but it is unlikely that his request would be entertained as incumbent Bandi Sanjay has been doing very well, and also is in Shah’s good books.
There is speculation that the BJP might not insist on him resigning as an MLA as it usually does when a legislator wants to join its ranks.
Even if it asks him to resign, there is no guarantee that the Speaker will accept it as the TRS does not appear to be in the mood to fight a by-election and risk another defeat after it suffered reverses in Dubbaka and Huzurabad by-elections.
It is almost clear that the Congress would press for his disqualification if he does not resign, but there is no guarantee the Speaker would immediately act on it. At the most, the Congress could expel him — in which case, he would not be treated as a Congress member in the Assembly. No harm done to him.
But for the Congress, his exit would mean a loss at a time when it is trying to get its act together to face the elections next year.
Already, the TRS had poached 12 of its 19 members, taking the number to seven, which came down to six after sitting MLA Uttam Kumar Reddy resigned his Huzurnagar seat following his election to the Lok Sabha.
If Rajagopal Reddy also leaves, then the number would come down to five. Not a good sign.
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