Telangana BJP struggles with management disaster and ideological incongruity

The Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) in Telangana finds itself embroiled in a simmering cauldron of controversies. Speculations about infighting and potential management modifications have been swirling round for months, intensifying after the Karnataka election outcomes. The social gathering’s administration of the scenario has turn into a media nightmare, compounded by the airing of disappointments by a number of BJP leaders on social media.

The most recent buzz revolves round rumours of the BJP central command contemplating the substitute of the incumbent State president, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a bid to stop disgruntled leaders from exiting the social gathering.

The battle between two BJP leaders, Eatela Rajender and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, erupted in Might as they vied for management within the upcoming elections in opposition to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Over time, extra dissident leaders expressed their dissatisfaction with their positions within the social gathering, claiming to have been sidelined. The latest addition to this group is reportedly BJP’s Dubbak MLA, M. Raghunandan Rao.

Political observers notice that a number of of those leaders who defected from different events are actually looking for higher political prospects outdoors the BJP, contemplating the social gathering’s weakened public picture.

“BJP will come third,” commented veteran journalist and writer Ok. Ramachandra Murthy, in regards to the upcoming elections in Telangana. In line with Murthy, the Congress is placing up a powerful struggle after its victory in Karnataka. The infighting inside the Congress seems to have been contained, no less than for now. 

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Just some months in the past, the BJP was seen as higher positioned than the Congress to turn into the principal opposition to BRS in Telangana. Nevertheless, the underlying points have worsened for the reason that Karnataka election outcomes.

The BJP is grappling with varied challenges, together with its failure to assimilate outsiders, fractured unity amongst veteran members, an absence of foresight in utilising the experience of newer leaders, the restricted influence of Hindutva ideology in Telangana, the disposition of the present management, ongoing election campaigns, and the absence of an efficient agenda in opposition to BRS.

N.V. Subhash, an official spokesperson of Telangana BJP, initially dismissed the notion of infighting inside the social gathering. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that some “newcomers” within the social gathering’s ranks felt “uncomfortable” and had been chargeable for “media leaks”. Subhash emphasised that makes an attempt to sabotage the social gathering’s prospects could be met with decisive motion.

Assimilation troubles

Eatala Rajender, a former minister from the BRS cupboard, joined the BJP in 2021 after being embroiled in a land seize scandal and subsequently resigning from the social gathering. Rajender, a frontrunner from Telangana’s Mudiraj (OBC neighborhood), discovered a greater match within the BJP, aligning with the social gathering’s efforts to ascertain a stronger assist base among the many BCs of the State. He received the Huzurabad by-election and retained his MLA seat.

Karimnagar MP and president of the BJP’s Telangana State unit, Bandi Sanjay Kumar (left) has a protracted historical past with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has risen by way of the ranks of the BJP.
| Picture Credit score:
Twitter/Bandi Sanjay Kumar

Bandi Sanjay Kumar, alternatively, has a protracted historical past with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has risen by way of the ranks of the BJP. In 2019, he secured the Karimnagar MP seat and has served because the social gathering president for Telangana since 2020.

Variations between Rajender and Sanjay Kumar arose early on. After becoming a member of the BJP, Rajender anticipated a extra outstanding position, and rumours of him being sidelined in favour of Sanjay Kumar have endured. 

Rajender’s major agenda in becoming a member of the BJP has all the time been to defeat Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao’s BRS. Whereas the BJP shares the identical goal, Rajender emphasises Telangana sentiment and developmental points. Regardless of his ideological variations with the social gathering and his previous as a leftist scholar chief, Rajender insists that the BJP is “not communal.”

When requested about this ideological incongruity in an interview with Frontline, Rajender evaded a direct response. “Setting apart the leftist and rightist tags, I consider in being dedicated to individuals’s points and fixing their issues. I prioritise the individuals and successful their love,” he mentioned.

Analysts level out that a number of BJP entrants from non-RSS backgrounds face related challenges. They joined the social gathering to struggle in opposition to Chief Minister Rao however lacked ideological alignment with the BJP’s Hindutva undertaking.

“Rajender can’t be a rabid reactionary. That’s not his curiosity in any respect. One can’t count on him to turn into a Hindutva icon in Telangana,” remarked Prof. Ok. Nageshwar, a political analyst, former MLC, and journalism professor at Osmania College.

In distinction, Bandi Sanjay stays dedicated to the Hindutva ideology, advocating for points corresponding to “love jihad”, mosque excavations, abolishing reservations for Muslims, non secular conversions, Hindu security, and the idea of Rama Rajya. He enjoys the assist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah. Whereas he does oppose Chief Minister Rao, his anti-KCR stance just isn’t as pronounced as his assertions of Hindutva ideology.

Did defectors get a uncooked deal?

Establishing a becoming a member of committee to facilitate defections from different events might not be essentially the most standard strategy, however it’s one the BJP took to bolster its prospects in Telangana. Led by Eatala Rajender, the committee has seen restricted success. Rajender stays essentially the most outstanding chief to have joined the BJP in recent times, having served because the Finance Minister within the first time period of BRS and later because the Well being Minister.

Rajender’s camp believes that he was caught in a no-win scenario. Whereas he himself feels uncomfortable with the affiliation, his stature inside the social gathering stays in query. Regardless of trying to stress social gathering seniors, Rajender has had restricted success thus far.

Critics argue that the BJP has struggled to assimilate people who come from outdoors the social gathering. They cite missed alternatives in utilising Rajender’s capacities in numerous areas, corresponding to addressing land and finance points. Nagam Janardhan Reddy, a former BJP chief in Telangana, can also be talked about as somebody with precious experience in water statistics that the social gathering did not leverage. On this regard, the BJP seems to be clueless, in keeping with Harathi Vageeshan, a political science professor at Hyderabad’s NALSAR College of Regulation.

Rajender shared with Frontline that the social gathering has an understanding of the capabilities of leaders within the State and what tasks might be assigned to them. Most events function in an analogous method, progressing when such a deep understanding exists. Nevertheless, he shunned commenting on the rumoured ultimatum issued to the central command, which recommended that point was operating out for the social gathering to alter its strategy and management in Telangana.

Analysts and political scientists consider that Rajender nonetheless has the choice to distance himself from the BJP. Nevertheless, he has insisted that he won’t achieve this.

“The Congress could be a greater match for him. He’ll lose his constituency if he contests as a BJP candidate. Final time he received as a result of the Congress had conceded in by-elections,” remarked veteran journalist Ramachandra Murthy.

Others, corresponding to Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, are reportedly on the verge of leaving the BJP. Raj Gopal, a former Congress MLA, joined the BJP, contested from Munugode, and misplaced within the byelection. He has expressed his dissatisfaction publicly and is claimed to be contemplating a return to the Congress with the lobbying efforts of his brother, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.

To handle discontent and accommodate loyalists, the Telangana State govt of the BJP expanded from 80 to 205 members on June 13. Nevertheless, this transfer has not been well-received by some leaders who really feel marginalised in minor roles, resulting in renewed disappointment.

Concerning the opportunity of a management change in BJP Telangana, social gathering spokesperson Subhash acknowledged that newcomers wouldn’t be given the reins. The social gathering remains to be evaluating potential developments. “Many leaders have sacrificed their whole lives for the social gathering’s profit. The social gathering will give the reins to those that have RSS and BJP backgrounds,” he acknowledged.

“As soon as they be a part of, they’re karyakartas. Even when some bigwig from different events joins, they’ve to sit down as a karyakarta,” Subhash emphasised.

At present, most up-to-date joiners to the BJP in Telangana maintain positions of little significance.

Is there a management disaster?

Whereas infighting is a standard prevalence in most events, notably throughout elections, the battle inside the BJP Telangana goes past a easy energy battle between two leaders. It isn’t a clear vertical cut up, as Bandi Sanjay’s positioning comes at a price, and dissatisfaction among the many old-timers persists.

“It’s not simply the brand new entrants; even amongst BJP leaders, there are plenty of teams and infighting. The inflow of latest leaders has solely accentuated the problem,” defined Nageshwar.

Whereas not inflicting irreparable injury, the Karnataka election outcomes and public disputes amongst prime leaders have undoubtedly hindered the BJP’s capacity to draw extra members. Two former BRS leaders, former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and former BRS Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, lately joined the Congress. The excessive drama surrounding their social gathering affiliation seems to have been lastly resolved following the election ends in the neighbouring State.

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Most political scientists consider {that a} management disaster and an absence of agenda-setting have an effect on the BJP’s probabilities in Telangana. In contrast to in different States, the BJP has not focussed on organisational construction or developed a professional counter to BRS. Some argue that BRS performed a shrewd position in containing the BJP after years of camaraderie in opposition to the Congress.

“BJP Telangana wants leaders like Bandaru Dattatreya or Laxman from their earlier years who might be communal but in addition keep steadiness when vital,” recommended Vageeshan.

“A tangible, seen management exists within the BJP in Telangana. Nevertheless, the social gathering’s electoral and political agenda is inadequate to achieve legitimacy or the assist base of the individuals. There was an preliminary attraction, but it surely won’t maintain because of the lack of a considerable materials coverage and political agenda,” defined E. Venkatesu, a professor within the Division of Political Science on the College of Hyderabad.