For quite some time, there has been speculations in the media circles that former Telangana health minister and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender is feeling uncomfortable in the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The reports said Eatala was feeling sidelined by state BJP leaders, particularly BJP president Bandi Sanjay, who has been making indirect comments against the former and not taking the former into confidence on party issues.
Even a couple of day ago, Sanjay took a dig at Eatala for saying that he would contest from Gajwel.
“Individuals cannot decide from where they should contest. It is the party which will decide who will get the ticket and who will contest from where,” he said.
However, Eatala has remained calm, as he has the support of BJP national leadership, particularly Union home minister Amit Shah. Yet, there were reports that he might join the Congress party before the next elections, if he is not given much importance in the BJP.
But on Wednesday, it was evident that Eatala has closed the option of joining the Congress, as he is playing a crucial role in bringing Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy into the BJP and many others like Errabelli Pradeep Rao from Warangal.
As if to send a message that he is an important leader in the BJP, Eatala lashed out at even Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy for making unsavoury comments against Rajagopal Reddy.
Addressing a press conference at the party State office here, he recalled his association with Rajagopal Reddy since 2006 and the role played by them in the agitation for Statehood for Telangana. The language used by the PCC president against Rajagopal was unacceptable, he said.
“It is the habit of Revanth Reddy to use abusive language, blackmailing and hurting other people. He has not given up on this trait even after becoming PCC president,” Rajender said, adding that the civilized people will not tolerate such language.
Rajender said the PCC president was speaking out of frustration as the Congress was suffering setbacks in the State. Rajagopal could have joined the ruling party along with 12 Congress MLAs.
Time and again he got invitations requesting to join the ruling party, he said, adding that he had turned down the offer and relentlessly worked for the welfare and development of his constituency.
“The Congress is the main reason for the birth of regional parties in the country and it is also losing elections in several States due to its the high command’s arrogance,” Rajender added.