Within days of Home Minister Amit Shah leaving Hyderabad after holding separate talks with the top leadership of the party here, the party high command was forced to huddle yet again in Delhi following intemperate and snide comments made against party president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar by leaders from within the organisation.
The party, which claims to be model for discipline and decorum, was thoroughly embarrassed first, when Nizamabad MP D. Aravind, who is no friend of Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his family, faulted Mr. Sanjay Kumar for making certain remarks on MLC K. Kavitha for appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on her alleged role in the Delhi liquor scam.
If that raised eyebrows as the MP spoke against the party chief even when Mr. Shah was here to attend an official programme, a Facebook post by senior leader Perala Shekar Rao within hours supporting Mr. Aravind and also making damning charges of “corruption, one-upmanship, belittling colleagues, loose talk” against Mr. Sanjay Kumar has sent shock waves in the party.
Mr. Rao minced no words in pointing out that the State unit president has been acting like a “dictator” and he was forced to take to the social media because the culture of “listening and discussing” is no more prevalent in the party! Many partymen have been quick to rubbish the FB post of a “frustrated” person and dismissed the MP’s comments as of “no consequence”. The central leadership though has sought and got reports on the comments made by the duo.
There is talk of show cause notices and suspensions but thus far there has been only a verbal reprimand, according to party sources. These happenings give credence to murmurs over differences between the leaders — among the old timers in terms of caste and region, and also between the old timers and defectors more or less on the same lines with funds thrown in.
Mr. Sanjay Kumar has already completed three years as president and indications are he may be in line for an extension till the elections. “It is only a formality,” insist party sources. But, his detractors are coming out in the open and lobbying for a change by giving him an honourable exit in the form of a Cabinet post. Party grapevine is the Karimnagar MP has the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, but the central leadership is at its wits end to make the other leaders coalesce around him.
Published - March 14, 2023 09:03 pm IST
