Rama Krishna Sangem
Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy assumed charge as president of BJP unit in Telangana in a team show on July 21, Friday. He took this charge two weeks after he was appointed by the party national leadership, replacing Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay. BJP’s elections in charge for the state Prakash Javadekar, organisation in charge Tarun Chug were present.
Among the state leaders, party MPs Soyam Bapu Rao and Dharmapuri Aravind, party all India vice president DK Aruna, election committee chairman Etela Rajender, MLA Raghunandan Rao, former MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, former MPs G Vivek Venkatswamy, Vijayashanti and several others were there and greeted Kishan Reddy on his taking of charge.
Though earlier reports said Kishan Reddy would be dropped from the union cabinet as he got this new party job, now that there is no indication of a ministerial reshuffle at the centre, he may continue in two posts, at least for a month. A Cabinet reshuffle is unlikely before the end of parliament’s monsoon session by August 11. Moreover, Kishan Reddy preferred to go on with the two responsibilities.
Challenges before Kishan
Kishan Reddy faces two immediate challenges in his new job as Telangana BJP chief. One, he has to remove discontent among the followers of Sanjay, who belongs to numerically strong Munnur Kapu community. Two, Kishan Reddy also needs to remove the impression that he would be soft on KCR’s BRS government in Telangana. There is an impression that an aggressive Sanjay was replaced by a mild nature Kishan Reddy.
In his maiden address after taking charge, Kishan Reddy tried to deal with these two challenges. “Though I am the president of Telangana BJP, I will take everyone along, as we will take collective decisions. Our aim is to bring BJP to power in the coming assembly elections,” he said. Kishan Reddy also vowed to fight to finish against KCR government in the coming days.
“We want to bring a bulldozer sarkar in Telangana,” he said, signifying a dominant Hindutwa based government in Hyderabad. Kishan Reddy who came to Hyderabad on Thursday evening from Delhi held a protest demanding double bedroom houses for all eligible poor. On Friday too, he reiterated that his fight for the poor will continue. A massive dharna on the issue is planned in Hyderabad on July 25, Tuesday.
Some indications of possible political developments are noticed at Kishan Reddy’s charge taking event. One, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy who is rumoured to quit BJP and go to Congress spoke aggressively and praised relentless fight of Sanjay in the last few years. However, actress and former MP Vijayashanti left the meeting in a huff in protest against former CM and BJP general secretary Kiran Kumar Reddy who opposed Telangana formation before 2014.
