Hyderabad: Amid speculation about the winning parties in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, there is also talk about a possible change in leadership of Telangana BJP.
There is a strong belief that irrespective of election results being favourable or not favourable to BJP, selection of the party chief in Telangana looks certain now. According to sources, after the conclusion of general elections, approximately a dozen state units appointed new chiefs, but leadership in Telangana remained unchanged.
"At one point, announcement of a particular leader's name was planned, but it was dropped due to pressure from the state unit. There have been instances when top leaders made attempts to announce the name of a particular leader who joined from another party, but these efforts had to be halted at the last minute. It is not true that state chiefs will only be changed after a national chief is appointed. Many state units have already appointed new presidents in the meantime," a source said.
Several factions within the party believe that since Telangana is not facing elections in the coming years, this will also influence the selection of the next party leader. However, results from recent elections in other states have certainly impacted the party unit here. There are considerable differences of opinion among senior leaders regarding who should succeed Kishan Reddy as party chief.
As a result, top leaders in Delhi have been hesitant to push their preference, as they remain focused on elections in other states, according to sources. Moreover, the party's lack of a majority at the Centre has also contributed to the delay in decision-making.
If Saturday's election results are favourable, the party leadership in Delhi may not face significant opposition regarding the choice of the new president. Nevertheless, BJP leaders are uncertain as to when the decision will be made.
"It could be in the second week of Dec or mid-Jan depending on the selection process," said a senior leader.