Lack of coordination casts shadow over Telangana BJP’s poll prep

Hyderabad: With Assembly elections in Telangana only a few months away, the BJPs state unit appears to be facing problems in fighting the poll battle as a cohesive unit.

Though claiming to be the only viable alternative to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and confident of storming to power, the BJP camp has been witnessing rumblings among different factions. The differences came to the fore again this week when a section of leaders left for Khammam to meet former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Jupalli Krishna Rao to invite them to join the BJP without informing the party’s state president Bandi Sanjay and other senior leaders.

The BJP’s joining committee led by its chairman and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender, and some other leaders who are new to the party met Srinivas Reddy and Krishna Rao. Bandi Sanjay, however, had no information about the visit of this group. As word spread about the conflict between the two groups and media persons posed a question to him, Sanjay gave an explanation which actually hints at a lack of coordination among leaders.

“I had no information about the meeting as I recently lost my mobile phone,” said Sanjay, who had complained to the police last week that he lost his phone while being arrested in the SSC malpractice case. Sanjay then went on to add that there was nothing wrong with Eatala and others meeting anyone who has good relations with them.

Eatala and some other leaders who came into the party fold recently had gone to Khammam. Some leaders who are loyal to Bandi Sanjay were unhappy that he was not informed about the meeting beforehand. This section says that protocol should have been followed. The development comes amid reports of a rift between old and new leaders.