Dissent in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was out yet again, this time apparently against BJP MLA Eatala Rajender, who is tipped to be appointed as the Campaign Committee chairman, with senior BJP leaders meeting at A.P. Jithender Reddy’s residence on Sunday.
Vivek Venkataswamy, Vijayashanthi, Konda Vishveshwar Reddy, Vijayarama Rao, Boora Narsaiah Goud and Vittal, among others, attended the meeting.
That the meeting was against the recent developments in the party was indicated when Mr. Reddy said that some people were leaking stories in New Delhi claiming new positions that don’t exist in the party. He, however, blamed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for planting stories in the media about dissension in the BJP. “This is his habit to divert attention from the failures of the government,” he said.
Their contention seemed to be ignoring seniors like them in party positions. The mood of their meeting was much against Mr. Eatala Rajender though they did not take his name anywhere. “We have met to discuss the developments in the party and it is nothing against the party,” he said when asked about the ‘secret’ meeting. BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar was doing well and the party was bound to come back was his argument.
The former MP accused KCR of spreading false news on change in the State BJP leadership by planting stories in newspapers. He said that the media has some credibility. “Don’t let the faith in newspapers erode with such planted stories,” he advised reporters.
Mr. Reddy tried to project an image that Congress and BRS were bound to work together in the Assembly elections. Those who want to defeat KCR should join the BJP and not the Congress was his argument while referring to the likely entry of Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao into Congress.
