BJP weighing the option of declaring Eatala Rajender as campaign head in Telangana

Rajagopal Reddy is also in Delhi with Eatala, waiting for Amit Shah’s return.

What is crucial here is that Eatala belongs to one of the BC communities which together constitute more than 50 percent of the population in the state, but was never allowed the true taste of political power.

Eatala’s first meeting with Amit Shah

Immediately after joining the BJP in June 2021 — along with his colleague former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy — Rajender had a one-on-one meeting with Amit Shah in Delhi where they reportedly discussed the status of the party in the state and how new life could be infused into it.

At that time, Amit Shah is understood to have said that he would entrust the election campaigning responsibility to Rajender.

With the arrival of the Munugode by-election, the announcement in this regard took a back seat for some time. Now that the Munugode by-election is over, it is expected that Amit Shah will take time to focus on Telangana.

TRS getting into campaign mode

The BJP is already feeling the heat as TRS is ahead in making preparations for the Assembly elections.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao explained the party’s strategy to fight the BJP at a joint meeting of the TRS executive, legislature, and parliamentary party at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, 15 November.

The BJP too has to catch up with campaigning, and if it has to capture power, it would have to come up with a better and more innovative strategy to beat the TRS.

Though the BJP has lost Munugode, it has not left a bitter taste in the mouths of the BJP leaders as the party had put up a spirited fight.

The by-election has shown that the BJP has grown in the constituency and it is possible that the party is taking root in other constituencies as well, as its national policies have the power to influence Hindus.

Expecting an announcement

It is expected that Amit Shah, after the Gujarat elections, will announce Eatala Rajender as the campaign head — a move that would have an impact on the BCs in the state who have not tasted power in full measure so far.

Though they have won a few seats here and there, real power has remained with the Velamas or the Reddys.

Those who watch the BJP closely suggest that the leader who is named election in-charge is usually also considered the chief ministerial candidate if the party comes to power.

“Entrusting election campaigning to one leader will create a favorable environment for the entire party to work hard and help it win as there would be no ambiguity over who would be the chief minister after the elections,” a BJP leader said.

BJP election machinery

Very soon, Union ministers in-charge of political affairs under the leadership of BJP’s top leaders — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah, and party president JP Nadda — will take charge of the elections.

Amit Shah is said to be giving high priority to Eatala Rajender leading the party machinery under the guidance of the central ministers. Shah, who visited the state on 17 September, paid a special visit to Rajender at his home to comfort him when his father passed away.

Meanwhile, the party is organising a three-day training camp to educate BJP state leaders, district presidents, legislators, and others about how to chart their course in the party, what to do, and what not to do.

The three-day training camp will be organised at Rashtriya Vidya Kendra, Annojiguda, Hyderabad, from November 20 to 22.

State leaders as well as Tarun Chugh and Sunil Bansal, in-charge of Telangana, will explain the party’s philosophy and how to make smart gains in the electoral battle with the TRS.