Ex Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar
The outgoing Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar's philosophical tweet on Tuesday saying "Some chapters in our lives have to close without closure" indicated that all was not well in the party which is aiming to clinch power in the poll-bound state.
Things started falling apart after the BJP faced a humiliating defeat in the recently concluded Assembly polls in the neighbouring Karnataka, with open criticism by some leaders about the internal affairs of the party.
The BJP high command after several rounds of consultations with state leaders finally replaced Kumar with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy today besides appointing E Rajender as Election Management Committee chairperson in the poll-bound Telangana.
"Some chapters in our lives have to close without closure. Keep me in your blessings, in case I have unintentionally hurt anyone during my tenure. I am happy that I am not a sad story but all of you have given me the most memorable moments - be it staying with me during arrests, standing by when attacked or laughing in moments of joy," Sanjay said in his tweet after the announcement of Reddy's appointment.
Thanking the party workers for their support during "the fight" against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's regime, the BJP leader said, "Rain or shine you were with me, for I am one among you and will always be so." He also thanked the party's rank and file for the support, love and encouragement given during his tenure as State president.
A senior BJP leader said Kumar who was in Mumbai on Monday was called by the party's high command to come to Delhi and meet the top leadership today.
The BJP has achieved some remarkable successes during Kumar's tenure as the State president. It won bypolls of Dubbak and Huzurabad Assembly constituencies lifting the spirits of the party cadre. It also scored a good number of seats in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.
Nizamabad MP D Arvind, talking to reporters thanked BJP president J P Nadda for appointing Kishan Reddy as Telangana president and Etala Rajender as Election Management Committee head.
Arvind exuded confidence that BJP will come to power in Telangana under the leadership of Kishan Reddy.
"Naddaji has given an excellent message to the people of Telangana, the party cadre. Bandi Sanjay worked hard and strengthened the party. He successfully completed his term and strengthened the party," the MP said.
Rajender in a press conference thanked the BJP high command for appointing him as EMC chief and assured that he would work hard to fulfill the aspiration of the party.
K Krishna Sagar Rao, chief spokesperson, BJP Telangana State in a statement said he is confident that under Kishan Reddy's leadership, the party will rise to the occasion and give the best fight possible, to unseat BRS in the next Assembly elections.
Kishan Reddy started his political career as a leader of the youth wing of the Janata Party in 1977 and on the formation of BJP from the Jana Sangh, he joined the party full time.
He also served as national president, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). He was president of the party for Andhra Pradesh (undivided ) between 2009 and 2014.
Reddy was elected to Lok Sabha from Secunderabad constituency in 2019 and was appointed as Union Minister.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)