The senior and loyal BJP leader Ramchander Rao is almost certain to become the next Telangana state president. According to party sources, the central leadership has approved Rao's candidacy, and he is expected to be elected unopposed as the Telangana BJP president tomorrow. Upset by this decision, fiery MLA T. Raja Singh, also known as Tiger Raja, announced his resignation from the primary membership of the saffron party in a letter to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, the current Telangana BJP president, on Monday. A few days earlier, Raja Singh had released a video message urging the party leadership to appoint him as the president of Telangana BJP.
Upon learning of Ramchander Rao's nomination for the state president position, Raja Singh expressed his disappointment, saying the decision was a shock not only to him but also to millions of workers, leaders, and voters who have stood by the party through thick and thin. He alleged that there are many capable senior BJP leaders, MLAs, and MPs in Telangana who have tirelessly worked for the party's growth and possess the strength, credibility, and public support to lead the party forward. He claimed that unfortunately, it seems a few individuals, driven by personal ambitions, have misled the central leadership and decided to operate from behind the scenes.
Even as Tiger Raja Singh announced his separation from BJP, his commitment to the ideology of Hindutva and religious service remains unchanged. Raja Singh is known for his contentious statements. This is not the first time he has resigned from BJP. In 2018, he suddenly decided to resign, but the party then did not accept his resignation. Earlier, he was expelled from BJP for six years for making controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad concerning a case involving stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui. However, he was pardoned before the 2022 state assembly elections.
Also Read: Telangana MLA T Raja Singh Resigns from BJP amidst Leadership Dispute!
In Telangana, T Raja Singh has been the face of Hindutva for the BJP. He has been elected to the assembly from the Goshamahal seat three times consecutively, illustrating his stronghold in the constituency. Known nationwide for his controversial remarks and locally for his 'rebellious stance' against the Owaisi brothers, Raja Singh's departure raises questions about whether he is significant enough for the BJP in the state that his resignation could cause substantial damage. The BJP is unlikely to want to lose a figure that staunchly supports and follows Hindutva, central to BJP's politics. This Hindutva card played by Raja Singh was the BJP’s strategic move in Telangana. Other BJP leaders like G Kishan Reddy (Union Minister and state BJP president) or K Laxman do not share the same hardline approach.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar, the former BJP state president, parallels T Raja Singh in his political approach but is currently not as active in state politics. Local political analysts note that due to internal BJP politics in Telangana, he has been sidelined. Thus, Raja Singh was the lone leader in Telangana representing the BJP's Hindutva front, a candidate whose victory was beyond doubt. Raja Singh won from the Goshamahal constituency against Congress's Mukesh Goud in 2014. In 2018, he was the only BJP candidate who succeeded in the assembly elections and held onto the seat in 2023 as well.
The intriguing aspect of Goshamahal is that it forms part of the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, dominated by Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM. Among the seven assembly seats in Hyderabad—Malakpet, Karwan, Charminar, Bahadurpura, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, and Goshamahal—all but Goshamahal are held by AIMIM. Goshamahal is the only Hindu-majority seat, with a significant population of Hindi, Marathi, and Marwari speakers. Raja Singh hails from the Lodhi Rajput community, originally from Northern India. During the Nizam's era, his community migrated to Hyderabad, forming a substantial presence in Goshamahal.
However, Raja Singh's influence is limited within Telangana. He is popular among the hardcore Hindutva followers in the state, a crowd more concentrated in Hyderabad. Coming from a North Indian family settled in Hyderabad, Raja Singh is not entirely proficient in Telugu, which limits his ability to integrate with other leaders and affects his outreach beyond Old Hyderabad. His controversial statements and lack of a larger agenda beyond Hindutva restrict his potential as a statewide leader for BJP. Consequently, while his resignation might affect the BJP in the Goshamahal seat, it is unlikely to impact the party's performance across Telangana.
Raja Singh's notable performance in Goshamahal is attributed to the polarization of Hindu votes there. However, his rebellious personality and strained relationships with local BJP leaders like Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar mean he often fails to toe the party line or show the loyalty that would inspire the leadership to entrust him with greater responsibility. This is likely why the BJP has chosen to place its faith in the loyal N. Ramchander Rao to lead its Telangana unit rather than Raja Singh.
N. Ramchander Rao, aged 66, has been associated with BJP for over four decades. He served as an MLC from 2015 to 2021. As a Brahmin leader, Rao can unite the party, which has been witnessing emerging factions within the Telangana BJP. Ramchander Rao began his political life with the ABVP, an RSS-affiliated student organization, in 1977. He served as a state executive member of ABVP for five years. During the final years of his tenure with ABVP, Rao worked with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) from 1980 to 1982. Holding a master's degree from Osmania University in Hyderabad, N. Ramchander Rao later acquired a law degree from the same institution. Following this, he spent about a decade working within BJP's legal cell.
From 2009 to 2012, he was the General Secretary for the undivided Andhra Pradesh BJP. Despite the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into two states in 2014, he continued to serve as the state BJP spokesperson for several years. His engagement with the public and unwavering commitment to the party are well-known. Rao has practiced law at Hyderabad’s metropolitan courts and the High Courts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Recently, he had been practicing before the Supreme Court. Through Rao’s appointment as the state president, the BJP aims to project itself as a party for the workers while providing Telangana BJP with a president who embodies a learned and capable politician’s image without courting controversy. Trusting a Telugu-speaking local leader like Rao also aligns with BJP's strategy to strengthen its presence throughout Telangana, as opposed to focusing only on select regions.
