The conspicuous absence of several senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official event and public rally in Mahabubnagar has stirred a whirlwind of speculation and discussion within the party’s ranks, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
Notable among the absentees were BJP MP from Adilabad, Soyam Bapu Rao, along with former MPs Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, G Vivek Venkatswamy, and M Vijayashanti. Former MLAs Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, G Vijayarama Rao, and Enugu Ravinder Reddy were also among those who chose not to attend. However, Union Minister and State BJP President G Kishan Reddy, along with BJP National General Secretary Bandi Sanjay, were present at the Prime Minister’s events. Additionally, BJP Parliamentary Board member G Laxman and BJP National Vice President DK Aruna were also seen in attendance.
A senior Telangana BJP official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, remarked that the absence of these senior leaders at the Prime Minister’s meeting has raised concerns within the party. “There is speculation within the party that Bapu Rao might consider switching to the Congress soon. Attempts to contact him today were unsuccessful, as he remained out of reach to the party, as were his followers,” the official noted.
Regarding the absence of former MP G Vivek, it was mentioned that he greeted the Prime Minister at the airport but was notably absent from the public meeting. Concerning former MP Vijayashanti, it was suggested that she was suffering from viral fever, although there has been no official confirmation of her condition.
Former MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy has been distancing himself from party activities for an extended period. He recently informed reporters in Hyderabad that he would soon decide whether or not to quit the BJP.
Since September 24, these dissatisfied senior BJP leaders have convened at least three times to deliberate on the party’s current state of affairs. They share concerns that the party is failing to instill confidence among its cadres about the prospect of coming to power, as there is a growing perception among the public that the BJP may have a tacit understanding with the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
Furthermore, there is a degree of disappointment among party cadres regarding Prime Minister Modi’s speech at the Mahabubnagar rally, which was not as assertive as expected. Many were hopeful that Modi would launch a robust critique against KCR (K. Chandrashekar Rao) and make a fervent appeal to the people to unseat the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government. However, his criticism of the KCR government was relatively brief, as per the aforementioned party leader.
The BJP state leadership hopes that some of the absent leaders may attend the Prime Minister’s public rally in Nizamabad today. Failure to do so could send a clear signal to the party’s cadres that these leaders may not remain in the party for much longer.
Meanwhile, G Kishan Reddy traveled to New Delhi after receiving a call from the national party leadership on Monday afternoon. He held an emergency meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to address issues related to the state of affairs within the Telangana BJP.
Speaking with reporters later, Kishan Reddy disclosed that Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Telangana on October 10. Before that, BJP National President J P Nadda is set to arrive in Hyderabad to address the state executive committee meeting and provide guidance for the upcoming assembly elections. Kishan Reddy also announced that the first list of party candidates for the assembly elections would be unveiled in the second week of October. He expressed confidence that the Prime Minister’s rally in Nizamabad would bolster the party’s morale.
