Vijayawada:Infighting among the old-timers and leaders who parachuted from other parties, which has been plaguing the Telangana BJP, seems to have spread to the party in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as well.
With an expansion of the Union Cabinet on the cards, leaders like D. Purandeshwari and C.M. Ramesh have intensified lobbying for a berth, though old-timers pitched for the continuation of incumbent Bhoopathiraju Srinivasa Varma.
Sources said the Central leadership entrusting Ramesh, the Anakapalle MP, with the task of managing the switchover of Trinamul Congress Lok Sabha members to the BJP fold had upped his stakes within the party.
They also claimed that it was Ramesh who arranged a meeting of Trinamul rebel MPs with senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the latter’s residence a few days ago, where things were firmed up. “He then left for Kolkata again to monitor the task,” said a BJP leader close to Ramesh.
Prior to that, Ramesh had been making round trips to Delhi and Kolkata in the past few weeks to initiate dialogue with rebel TMC MPs. “He is being made part of the deliberations at the highest level and arranging the paraphernalia for smooth completion of the task,” a party leader told Deccan Chronicle.
Purandeshwari, BJP MP and former Union minister, has emerged as another contender. Sources said that since the party’s expansion plans were on hold in Andhra Pradesh, the Central leadership would not allow a Cabinet berth to go waste; besides, she could not be demoted to a minister of state.
Though she was made AP unit president before the 2024 elections, the BJP central leadership replaced Purandeshwari with P.N.V. Madhav.
On the other hand, Srinivasa Varma, a non-controversial leader, is banking on his staunch loyalty to the party for his retention in the Union ministry.
Senior leaders were unhappy over actions of some leaders parachuted from other parties creating an impression that money power matters in the party.
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