Within hours of the BJP national leadership dropping Bandi Sanjay as the Telangana BJP chief and appointing Union Minister G Kishan Reddy in his place, rumblings began in the party.
Former Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who had been sulking for quite some time, immediately went to the residence of former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, who joined the Congress party in the presence of Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.
Rajagopal Reddy discussed the prospects of joining the Congress party as there was no assurance to him from the BJP high command. In fact, he had been summoned to New Delhi on June 24 to discuss with the national leaders, who requested him to stay back.
He expected that he would be given some post, but nothing of that sort happened. What hurt him more was that the party high command gave the important post of BJP election management committee chairman to Eatala Rajender, who was also sulking. So, Rajagopal Reddy decided to jump the fence.
Seniors like former MPs Vijayashanti and G Vivek, besides lower-rung leaders, are said to be unhappy about the development.
“It is very painful that Sanjay, who breathed fire into the party in Telangana, was replaced as the party chief. I hope the party will give him a much bigger responsibility and respect the sentiments of our party workers, who have been striving for the party and the country,” Vijayashanti said in a statement.