The South India Times
(Special Correspondent)
Hyderabad: In a shrewd move, the BJP high command is seriously mulling with the idea of replacing the aggressive Bandi Sanjay Kumar with a soft-spoken, yet effective, Etela Rajender as the state party chief, according to highly placed sources in the party.This may happen in the next couple of months and the party central leadership may get Bandi Sanjay inducted into the Union Cabinet. It may not come as a surprise to many as rumors were already making rounds in party circles that the party high command is determined to project Rajender as the party’s ‘CM face” in the upcoming assembly polls, whenever they are held.As the state chief minister and new Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti (BRS) supremo too is mulling with the idea to advance polls and may go with the neighboring Karnataka, where they are due in April/May this year, many in the party feel that it would be a ‘master stroke’ to checkmate KCR. The question is, will it? Union Minister for Tourism G Kishen Reddy too been an aspirant for the state party chief’s slot it is believed.
Some leaders feel he is a political light-weight compared to Etala Rajender, as he knows how to tame KCR as he had been with him since the separate statehood struggle.
That apart he represents a predominant ‘Munnuru Kapu’ community in the state which is very influential in a number of assembly constituencies, which may prove to be a ‘game changer’? The reason behind the change in state leadership of was they wanted the right candidate with influential community backing. That apart, they wanted someone more matured and level-headed, to become the party’s CM face ahead of assembly polls. Though the party high command acknowledges the immense contribution of the present incumbent Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who ensured the party’s phenomenal rise in the state to become a challenger, yet more a ‘soft spoken’ but ‘seasoned administrator’ may be the option the party central leadership is now looking at.
Interestingly, some of those who recently defected from either the Congress or the TRS like DK Aruna, former MPs Jitender Reddy and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, are also said to be aspirants to become state party chiefs, if the party is so desirous of bringing in a change. None of them enjoy the stature of Etela Rajender, as he enjoys more administration experience, first as Finance Minister, later Revenue and Medical Health, all key portfolios in the erstwhile TRS government since it came to power in 2014.
The party’s central leadership could recognize Etala’s influence on the voters, not only winning his own battle in Huzurabad assembly by-poll with such thumping majority, but also help the party in the recently concluded Munugode by-poll, where the party phenomenally increased its vote share.The BJP which is determined to capture power in the state, would not like to leave any stone unturned, to regret later. And the Central leadership’s latest decision reportedly one of those types and confident that under leadership, the party can steers to victory, with much more comfort.
