Marthi Subrahmanyam
n Vijayawada
The recent announcement of a new State committee by BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari has raised concern among party members, particularly within the Kapu community, as they feel they were not adequately represented in key positions.
Prominent BJP senior leaders have expressed their discontent with what they perceive as a lack of social justice in the composition of the new state committee under Purandeswari’s leadership. The primary grievance revolves around the alleged underrepresentation of Kapu community leaders. Purandeswari’s attempt to infuse fresh blood into the State committee seems to have garnered criticism from senior party members.
However, some senior leaders have defended her choices, arguing that she appointed individuals known for their strong voices as official spokespersons. The new State committee includes individuals who had previously joined the BJP after leaving the TDP, a move that has garnered attention. Critics have pointed out that while leaders from the Kamma, Reddy, and Kshatriya communities have secured significant roles, Kapu leaders appear to have been overlooked.
A senior BJP leader noted that Purandeswari made efforts to overhaul the old committee by appointing new leaders but was only partially successful in doing so. Inside sources suggest that Sanghatana Mantri Madhukar Jee, who remained silent during Somu Verraju’s tenure as State president, played a key role in the formation of the new committee led by Purandeswari.
Former TDP members like Garapati Tapana Chowdary, Adinarayana Reddy, Vakati Narayana Reddy, Chandu Sambashiva Rao, Lanka Dinakar, Yamini Sharma, and Sudish Rambotla have been given prominent roles within the new committee.
A political analyst has observed that the BJP’s decision to appoint ex-TDP leaders to key positions may signify an attempt to strengthen ties with the TDP.
Furthermore, the allocation of key posts in the new committee to Kamma community leaders has become a topic of intense debate within BJP circles. The move to form this new committee under Purandeswari’s leadership suggests a potential revival of the BJP-JSP-TDP alliance, according to the political analyst.
There are no Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates among the general secretaries in the new committee. Several retired IAS and IPS officials, including Dasari Srinivasulu, IYR Krishna Rao, and V Dinesh Reddy, did not secure positions in the new committee. Despite not being active in the party, Sudhip Rambotla was appointed as a spokesperson.
Party sources indicate that Purandeswari initially opposed the inclusion of Vishnuvardhan Reddy and Banuprakash Reddy in the new committee, but their names were recommended by Union Minister Kishan Reddy. Some BJP leaders have expressed their confusion regarding the inclusion of Balakrishna Yadav from the Kadapa district in the new committee. Certain senior BJP leaders have termed the new State committee an ‘old wine in a new bottle’, leaving the future of the party’s leadership in the upcoming state elections in the hands of time, according to one senior BJP official’s comment.
