Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, who has been named the new president of the party in Telangana, said on Wednesday he will follow whatever the party decides. "I am a disciplined worker of the party and I will go ahead as per the decision of the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting in Warangal on 8th July. After that, I will take charge as the state president of BJP in Telangana. As far as my position as a Union Minister is concerned, I will follow whatever the party decides," said Reddy as reported by news agency ANI.
The BJP's rivals, the ruling BRS and a resurgent Congress following the victory in Karnataka are eager to go, making it difficult for the party to win the Assembly elections.
More importantly, after rumors circulated that he would succeed Bandi Sanjay Kumar as state BJP president, Kishan Reddy now needs to make sure that the state party unit runs smoothly.
The BJP's central leadership appointed Kishan Reddy to the position of state party chief on Tuesday, replacing Sanjay Kumar, in an effort to end the BJP's internal conflict and prolonged media speculation.
It's odd that Kishan Reddy is keeping his mouth shut about his appointment as the state BJP president.
Sanjay Kumar, who became president of the party in 2020 and is strongly influenced by Hindutva ideology, gave the party a new lease on life and took a firm stand against the BRS government.
The BJP achieved remarkable results in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election in recent years and won two Assembly bypolls under his leadership.
However, according to reports, MLA Eatala Rajender, who is currently in charge of the election management committee, and a few other leaders are not on the same page as Sanjay Kumar.
Kishan Reddy, who previously held the position of state unit president in undivided Andhra Pradesh and later in Telangana, is now faced with the challenge of ensuring the BJP's harmonious operation and preparing it for the significant upcoming elections.
He must mobilise the party cadre, who are dissatisfied with the BJP's internal conflict, despite the organization's reputation for discipline.
In addition, Kishan Reddy will need to collaborate with Rajender, a well-known leader from the backward classes who has his own support outside of the BJP, as well as other leaders who have joined the BJP in recent years, to ensure that the party stands united in the upcoming elections.
Rajender, a senior leader in BRS and a minister in the K Chandrasekhar Rao government, left the state Cabinet in 2021 due to allegations of land grabbing and joined the BJP.
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