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Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
T Raja Singh: ‘Have the blessing of top BJP leaders, had to quit party because of some in state unit'
BJP MLA in Telangana, T Raja Singh, quit the party on June 30 in protest against ex-MLC N Ramachander Rao's elevation as the party's state president. Though the three-time MLA from Goshamahal in Hyderabad faces the risk of being disqualified from the Assembly and the prospect of a bypoll, he says he will continue to support senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In an interview, Raja Singh speaks about why he resigned from the party, rumours of his move to Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan's JanaSena Party (JSP), and his expectations from the BJP. Excerpts: I have been with the BJP since 2014 and won three Assembly elections on its ticket. Even after winning, I worked to strengthen the party and also went to jail. In Telangana, there are lakhs of party workers who want the BJP to come to power. The acceptance of my resignation is a disappointment for all of them. I hold no grudge against him. He is a good advocate, but an advocate can fight well only in court. You need a different skillset to fight the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Congress, and AIMIM. I feel it would have been better if the party had appointed an MP or an MLA as the state chief. Yes. There are two or three leaders in the Telangana BJP who do not want the party to come to power in the state. Their decision prevailed over mine. I have no such plans and, 99%, I will not join any other party. My ideology is Hindutva and I will not fit in with the BRS or the Congress. I don't even want to talk about the AIMIM. I will never join them. My supporters and I will continue to propagate the message of Modi, Shah, and Adityanath. Yes, I have become an Independent and will continue to support the BJP's ideology from outside. We will continue to work for Hindutva. I am heartbroken. It feels like I have parted ways with my family. But nothing can be done as the central leadership is not aware of the happenings in Telangana. I would request them to seek an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report on the BJP's political gains and losses in the state. They will then realise that I was right in calling out a section of the state leadership. The BJP had gained momentum in Telangana. We know this as we interact with people directly. We travel on bikes and do not even let the security keep people away from us. I know that the (previous) BRS and incumbent Congress governments have not done well for the people of Telangana. There was a movement building for a 'double-engine sarkar'. By accepting my resignation, they (central leadership) have let go of this grassroots movement. I thought the central leadership would contact me, ask me why I resigned, and what my problem was. But it did not happen. My speeches are only about Hindutva and lash out at anti-nationals. My target has been only those who target the Hindu religion. In Hyderabad, we respond to AIMIM leaders in their language. Some sections want a soft-spoken leadership, but my speeches are strong and open. BJP workers are with me even now due to these speeches. I have the blessing of the central leadership, but there are a handful of state leaders who do not like me and my speeches. It is because of them that I had to leave the party. No party other than the BJP stands for Hindutva. The Ram Temple in Ayodhya came into existence because of Modi and Adityanath. If the central leadership tells me to resign as MLA, I will do so. If they allow me, I will work as an ordinary worker.
New Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Ramachander Rao to be Telangana BJP chief
HYDERABAD: Former MLC N Ramachander Rao is set to be formally announced as the new president of the Telangana BJP on July 1. His was the only nomination filed, clearing the path for an uncontested elevation to the post. The nomination process, however, was not without drama. Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh, who had aspired to lead the state unit, resigned from the party after the central leadership backed Ramachander Rao. The former MLC submitted three sets of nominations to national election returning officer Shobha Karandlaje and state returning officer Yendala Laxminarayana. Ramachander Rao's appointment has been broadly welcomed within the party. A non-controversial figure, he has been associated with the BJP since his student days with the ABVP. He earlier served as students' union president of Railway College, led the Osmania University ABVP unit, and was the first general secretary of the Yuva Morcha in united Andhra Pradesh. Ramachander Rao has held several roles, including Hyderabad BJP president, chief spokesperson and vice president. A criminal lawyer by profession, he unsuccessfully contested the Malkajgiri seat in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. He won the 2015 Legislative Council election from the Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Graduate Constituency, a result credited with reviving the BJP's presence in the region. While his selection has drawn general support, some party members expressed surprise. The BJP had earlier indicated plans to appoint a BC leader. Ramachander Rao, a Brahmin, was therefore seen as an unexpected choice.
