Sources said BRS leaders who showed interest in the BJP were surprised that the information reached the upper echelons of the regional party.
Rajender addressed the media at his residence in Shamirpet. (Eatala Rajender/Facebook)
Recent comments made by former minister and BJP MLA Eatala Rajender — that there were covert operatives in the BJP helping the BRS — have kept the Telangana leadership of the saffron party on its toes, particularly at a time when top BJP leaders from Delhi are likely to visit in February.
Rajender, who is the convenor of the committee that oversees the joining of leaders from other parties, said the BRS — the ruling party in Telangana — was somehow getting information regarding those who were likely to join the BJP.
Rajender told reporters at his residence in Shamirpet that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had operatives in all parties in the state.
Replacing former MLA N Indrasena Reddy as the convenor, the BJP appointed Rajender to head the joining committee after considering his association with several BRS ministers and MLAs since the regional party’s inception.
Another factor that went in his favour was that he maintains good relationships with leaders from other parties as well — especially the Congress.
Though he has been trying to welcome leaders from other parties to join the BJP, most BRS leaders have taken a step back after the party’s top leadership learnt about their intention to leave.
Sources said that BRS leaders who evinced interest to join the BJP were surprised that the information had already reached the ears of top BRS leaders, who immediately intervened and urged them not to take any hasty decisions.
Sources stated that the ruling party in the state was getting information about the joining of leaders from other parties as well only because of the covert operatives present in the BJP.
Meanwhile, during a separate interaction with reporters, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief A Revanth Reddy said that Rajender joined the BJP with the aim to dethrone KCR.
But after he joined the BJP, he realised that there were covert operatives in the party, prompting him to find ways to realise his dream of dethroning KCR from the chief minister’s post.
Rajender’s remarks hold significance as BJP’s top leadership has accorded top priority to Telangana in order to win the next Assembly elections by strengthening the party on all fronts.
The BJP appointed two in-charges — Tarun Chugh and Sunil Bansal — to prepare a roadmap for the Assembly elections, in consultation with senior leaders in Telangana.
Time and again, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and others have stated that several senior leaders from the BRS were in touch with them and had shown interest in joining the BJP.
However, so far, only former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and former Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy have joined the BJP.
According to sources, Rajender’s hopes of becoming BJP state president — after incumbent president Bandi Sanjay gets elevated to Union minister by the BJP high command — have been dashed.
Apparently, Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao is likely to be made a Union minister by the BJP leadership, owing to the fact that he belongs to the tribal community.
If the BJP makes Bapu Rao a Union minister, Bandi Sanjay will continue in his current post as Telangana BJP president.
Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the recent national executive committee meeting, praised Bandi Sanjay for successfully heading the Praja Sangrama Yatra in five phases in Telangana.
With this, Bandi Sanjay is expected to continue as the BJP state president till the next elections, completely reducing the chances of Rajender taking on the mantle.
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