The BJP’s primary reason for selecting Ramchander Rao is that he fits the bill as someone tempered in the school of the RSS and as a hard-boiled ABVP leader. He has remained ideologically committed since joining the BJP.
Published Jul 03, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 03, 2025 | 8:00 AM
N Ramachander Rao was appointed the president of BJP Telangana. (X)
Synopsis: Following the election of the president for the Telangana unit of the BJP, some leaders who had eyed the post have expressed displeasure over the decision. While it was expected that a BC leader would be appointed to the post, the party appointed N Ramchander Rao.
The BJP aspirants who could not make the cut to become the new president of the party’s Telangana unit are understood to be a little unhappy over the appointment of former MLC N Ramchander Rao to the coveted position.
Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh even resigned from the party on 30 June and asked Union Minister G Kishan Reddy to notify the Speaker of the Assembly that he no longer belonged to the BJP. However, other aspirants are not as forthcoming and are trying to reconcile with the new scheme of things.
Since only Ramchander Rao was asked to file nomination papers, which was an indication that he was the party’s preferred candidate, an angry Raja Singh marched to the party office and attempted to submit his papers.
He was, however, advised against filing them as he had only three signatures of the party’s national council members, far fewer than the ten required. Later, after sending his resignation letter to Kishan Reddy, he addressed a press conference and explained how democracy had become scarce in the party.
Raja Singh, a perennial gadfly in the BJP, created a scene at the party office on the day of nominations (30 June) before quitting. A leader belonging to the Lodha community — a Backwards Class caste — he claimed that the decision to appoint Ramchander Rao, overlooking other loyalists, as president could jeopardise the party’s prospects in the state.
In his resignation letter, Singh urged senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, to reconsider the party’s direction in Telangana, which was a clear reflection of frustration among some leaders.
Others are not as vocal as Raja Singh but are biting the bullet. BC leader and MP Eatala Rajender wore his disappointment on his sleeve by skipping the celebrations at the party office on 30 June when Ramchander’s appointment was announced.
Realising his mistake, he attended the installation ceremony on 1 July, extending his best wishes and expressing confidence that the party would ace the upcoming local body elections and the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-poll.
Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri, who had hoped to be chosen for the position, seemed to be struggling to come to terms with the development. Rao’s appointment, announced a day after Amit Shah visited his constituency, where he inaugurated the new Turmeric Board office, must have come as a bittersweet experience.
Given the timing, Arvind apparently had hoped the coveted post would be his. However, the denouement came a day later when Ramchander Rao filed his nomination papers.
He skipped the celebrations, citing personal reasons in a cryptic post on X. He, however, said, a little earlier, that he wholeheartedly extended support to the party’s nominee, whoever it might be, for the president’s post.
“I will continue to work to strengthen the party,” he said, answering queries from reporters.
Other aspirants — MP M Raghunandan Rao and Union Minister of State Bandi Sanjay Kumar — may have found the decision unpalatable but did not openly protest.
Raghunandan Rao is currently in the hospital after undergoing knee surgery, while Sanjay Kumar publicly welcomed Ramchander Rao’s appointment.
However, he reiterated the party’s commitment to BC welfare and reminded them of the BJP’s promise that a BC leader would become the state’s chief minister — a subtle hint at his ambitions. Sanjay Kumar, a Munnur Kapu (a backwards class in Telangana), skillfully positioned himself while toeing the party line.
The BJP’s primary reason for selecting Ramchander Rao is that he fits the bill as someone tempered in the school of the RSS and as a hard-boiled ABVP leader. He has remained ideologically committed since joining the BJP. The party, which accords priority to ideological loyalty, saw in him an ideal candidate to unify factions.
The BJP appears wary of entrusting key roles to recent entrants like Eatala Rajender (who defected from BRS in 2021) or leaders like Arvind Dharmapuri and Raghunandan Rao, who lack RSS roots. Ramchander Rao’s non-controversial demeanour and ability to manage internal dissent made him the safest choice. With multiple electoral challenges ahead, the BJP aims to avoid factional infighting.
While Raja Singh’s resignation is a notable setback — given his influence among certain voter bases — there are no signs of mass defections yet. The BJP is banking on Rao’s experience and RSS backing to stabilise the party.
However, the discontent, particularly from Raja Singh’s camp, hints at potential future tensions, requiring the leadership to handle disgruntled members with kid gloves — especially when filling key positions.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
