The Crossbill News Desk
T Raja Singh, controversial BJP MLA from Goshamahal in Hyderabad, tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday (July 1), protesting the likely appointment of senior leader and former MLC N Ramachander Rao as the new president of the party’s Telangana unit.
The resignation came shortly after Singh was reportedly denied entry into the state BJP office to file his nomination for the party president post.
In his letter addressed to outgoing state BJP president and Union Minister for Coal G Kishan Reddy, Singh also requested that Assembly Speaker G Prasad Kumar be informed to initiate proceedings for his disqualification as an MLA.
Ramachander Rao had earlier filed his nomination for the state president position, reportedly on the direction of the BJP’s national leadership.
Sources indicated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Telangana on Sunday, conveyed the central leadership’s approval for Rao’s elevation. The formal announcement is expected on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media after submitting his resignation, Singh expressed disappointment over being barred from filing his nomination despite collecting three of the required ten signatures from state council members.
“I planned to file my nomination at an auspicious time but was stopped from entering the party office. Some senior leaders even threatened members with suspension if they supported me,” he alleged.
He further accused sections of the BJP leadership of undermining committed workers and working to prevent the party from gaining power in Telangana.
“I have faced countless threats and remained on terror hit lists since 2014. But certain leaders within the party seem intent on stifling those who have worked sincerely,” Singh said.
Concluding his remarks, he said, “I bow to you and your party — farewell.”
In his resignation letter, Singh described the decision to nominate Ramachander Rao as a “shock and disappointment” to thousands of party workers.
“At a time when the BJP stands at the threshold of forming its first government in Telangana, such a choice raises serious doubts about the direction we are heading,” he wrote.
He alleged that some leaders had misled the central command, taking decisions behind the scenes that disregarded grassroots contributions and risked derailing the party’s momentum.
Known for his hardline Hindutva stance and inflammatory speeches, Singh has remained a controversial figure in Telangana politics. He was suspended from the BJP in August 2022 after making remarks deemed offensive to the Muslim community.
Arrested under the Preventive Detention Act, he was released in November 2022. The BJP revoked his suspension in October 2023 and fielded him in the state assembly polls, where he retained his Goshamahal seat.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the BJP high command has appointed former MLC P V N Madhav as the new state unit president.
Madhav filed his nomination on Monday and will succeed Rajahmundry MP and former Union Minister Daggubati Purandeshwari, who took charge as state president on July 24, 2023.
The resignation came shortly after Singh was reportedly denied entry into the state BJP office to file his nomination for the party president post.
In his letter addressed to outgoing state BJP president and Union Minister for Coal G Kishan Reddy, Singh also requested that Assembly Speaker G Prasad Kumar be informed to initiate proceedings for his disqualification as an MLA.
Ramachander Rao had earlier filed his nomination for the state president position, reportedly on the direction of the BJP’s national leadership.
Sources indicated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Telangana on Sunday, conveyed the central leadership’s approval for Rao’s elevation. The formal announcement is expected on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media after submitting his resignation, Singh expressed disappointment over being barred from filing his nomination despite collecting three of the required ten signatures from state council members.
“I planned to file my nomination at an auspicious time but was stopped from entering the party office. Some senior leaders even threatened members with suspension if they supported me,” he alleged.
He further accused sections of the BJP leadership of undermining committed workers and working to prevent the party from gaining power in Telangana.
“I have faced countless threats and remained on terror hit lists since 2014. But certain leaders within the party seem intent on stifling those who have worked sincerely,” Singh said.
Concluding his remarks, he said, “I bow to you and your party — farewell.”
In his resignation letter, Singh described the decision to nominate Ramachander Rao as a “shock and disappointment” to thousands of party workers.
“At a time when the BJP stands at the threshold of forming its first government in Telangana, such a choice raises serious doubts about the direction we are heading,” he wrote.
He alleged that some leaders had misled the central command, taking decisions behind the scenes that disregarded grassroots contributions and risked derailing the party’s momentum.
Known for his hardline Hindutva stance and inflammatory speeches, Singh has remained a controversial figure in Telangana politics. He was suspended from the BJP in August 2022 after making remarks deemed offensive to the Muslim community.
Arrested under the Preventive Detention Act, he was released in November 2022. The BJP revoked his suspension in October 2023 and fielded him in the state assembly polls, where he retained his Goshamahal seat.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the BJP high command has appointed former MLC P V N Madhav as the new state unit president.
Madhav filed his nomination on Monday and will succeed Rajahmundry MP and former Union Minister Daggubati Purandeshwari, who took charge as state president on July 24, 2023.
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