HYDERABAD: TRS turncoat and BJP’s candidate for the Huzurabad by-election, Eatala Rajender, has been made one of 50 special invitees to the saffron party’s national executive committee announced on Thursday. The former Telangana health minister had joined BJP only in June after he was removed from the state cabinet over allegations of land-grabbing and growing differences with chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Many are seeing this as an indication of the growing importance of Telangana for the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It is also a indication that the party is taking the Huzurabad by-poll on October 30 very seriously.
Besides Eatala, six other Telangana leaders have been added to the national executive. By comparison, three leaders from Andhra Pradesh made it to the list.
Actress-turned politician Vijayashanti is the other special invitee from Telangana. Union minister G Kishan Reddy, and state executive members G Vivek, G Mohan Rao, and Jitender Reddy have been named as regular members of the national executive. D K Aruna, the current national vice president and another prominent leader, has been appointed to the body as an office-bearer.
Sources said the party has given priority to leaders who have joined them from other parties. Eatala, DK Aruna, G Mohan Rao, G Vivek, and Vijayashanti have all joined BJP in the last one year. “While this may cause some internal strife between newcomers and old-timers, it is necessary to expand the party,” a top leader remarked.
