After months of uncertainty, the BJP has finally finalised the name of N Ramchander Rao as the new president of its Telangana unit. The appointment comes at a time when the party is facing factionalism, a leadership crisis, and a few prominent candidates have been left out of consideration.
Ramachander Rao (66) will be replacing G Kishan Reddy, a Union Minister, who has held the role since July 2023. Rao has a long history with the BJP and was involved in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in his early days. He is known as a loyal party member with strong ties to the RSS. Rao previously served as the BJP’s spokesperson and general secretary and was an MLC for the graduates’ constituency of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Mahbubnagar from 2015 to 2021.
Many in the party are surprised by this selection. They expected Malkajgiri MP and former BRS minister Etela Rajender to be named for the coveted post. Political pundits observed that Etela, a prominent leader of the Backwards Class community, would have played a major role in supporting the BJP's earlier promise to promote a BC leader in the state. The party made significant announcements about having a BC Chief Minister during the last Assembly election campaign. Interestingly, Etela was the front-runner for the state President post.
However, Etela's chances decreased due to growing pushback from some party members. Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay and others raised concerns about Etela’s past connections with the BRS. They pointed to his testimony before the PC Ghose Commission regarding the Kaleshwaram project as a warning sign. In his statement, Etela defended the project's approvals by the previous cabinet, which contradicts the BJP's public stance on corruption involving former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao.
The central leadership is under pressure from various groups, making the final decision a challenging task. Ramachander Rao is seen as a candidate who can unite the old guard without creating more conflicts. His Brahmin background and long ties to the party's core values also work in his favour.
Other candidates like Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman, Nizamabad MP D Arvind, and former minister DK Aruna competed but failed. Bandi Sanjay was also considered for the position but decided not to run, likely due to his role in the Union Cabinet.
Nominations for the position will be accepted on June 30 between 2 and 4 pm. Rao is likely to be the only one to submit a nomination, which would lead to his uncontested rise. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje is the party's central returning officer for the internal election, and former MLA Endala Lakshminarayana is the state election officer.
Ramachander is a lawyer who began his political career as a student leader during the Emergency and was jailed 14 times at that time. He has degrees in political science and law from the University of Osmania.
The BJP hopes Ramachander's appointment will stabilise its Telangana unit. However, it is unclear how the party will address the concerns of sidelined leaders, such as Etela Rajender. There is speculation about a possible role for Etela in the Union Cabinet, but no official announcement has been made on this matter.
For now, it would be a tight walk for the new President, Ramachander Rao, whose main task would be bringing all the district units and local leadership on the same page, preparing for the upcoming local elections in the state.
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