6 Months Before Telangana Polls, BJP's Big Change Suggests A Reset

The BJP's unexpected leadership change in Telangana on Tuesday marked a significant shift in the state's political landscape with less than six months to go before elections, but the makings of the announcement have been there for a while now.

The change, which saw state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay replaced with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, was triggered by rising internal dissent within the party, unusual for the typically disciplined BJP, sources say. This comes on the heels of the party's recent defeat in the Karnataka elections.

Bandi Sanjay, often praised publicly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had enjoyed a meteoric rise within the party. His compelling narrative of an ordinary worker who auctioned his wife's mangalsutra to fund his election campaign resonated with many, particularly after his stunning win in the Karimnagar Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Under Bandi Sanjay's leadership, the BJP in Telangana had significantly bolstered its profile, becoming a considerable thorn in the side of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) - more so than the Congress or the BJP had managed in the past.

However, over the past few months, the BJP has been plagued by unprecedented levels of public dissension, with party leaders openly airing their grievances against Bandi Sanjay's leadership and demanding that their ambitions be recognised.

The driving force behind the leadership change appears to be Eatala Rajender, a recent addition to the BJP who had been ousted from the BRS. Rajender successfully lobbied the BJP's central leadership, claiming that Bandi Sanjay's leadership style was alienating party veterans and discouraging potential recruits from other parties.

While Mr Rajender's aspiration for the state leadership and potential candidacy for Chief Minister were seen as premature due to his newness to the party, his recent appointment as head of the Election Management Committee ensures that his influence continues to grow.

Further fracturing the party's unity, Dubbaka MLA Raghunandan and former MP Jitender Reddy have openly questioned the party's leadership decisions and allocation of resources. Mr Raghunandan, in particular, has challenged why he shouldn't be considered for higher roles, such as state president or national spokesperson.

The internal disputes reveal a significant shift in the party's dynamic, with prominent figures like Mr Rajender and Mr Raghunandan leveraging their personal political clout, gained independently of the BJP or PM Modi.

Caste is also believed to have played a role in the leadership change, with Mr Sanjay, from the Munnuru Kapu (OBC) community of Karimnagar, replaced by Mr Reddy, a member of the politically dominant Reddy community.

G Kishan Reddy, a seasoned politician with prior experience as a state BJP chief, MLA, MP, and Union Minister, is expected to bring a balance of state and national understanding to his new role. It is rumoured that Mr Sanjay might be inducted into the union cabinet, a significant switch in roles for both leaders.

Political analysts also speculate that Mr Reddy's more agreeable demeanour towards the BRS, compared to Mr Sanjay's confrontational approach, could signal a potential softening of the BJP's stance towards the ruling party in Telangana.