Why the BJP Chose N. Ramachander Rao as its Telangana Chief

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), N. Ramachander Rao, as its new president for Telangana in a move that has surprised many within the party and sidelined a more prominent frontrunner.

Rao’s unanimous election on Monday, 30 June, ended weeks of intense speculation that had pointed to the MP and former minister, Eatala Rajender, as the likely choice for the important post.

The decision was immediately followed by a significant development, as the party's controversial and sole three-time MLA from Hyderabad, T. Raja Singh, resigned in protest.

In a strongly worded letter, Singh described the appointment as a "shock and disappointment" to himself and "lakhs of karyakartas (party workers)".

A quiet organiser to cool factions

Ramachander Rao, a lawyer with deep roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is seen by the party leadership as a consensus candidate acceptable to the various competing factions within the Telangana unit.

This emphasis on loyalty comes after the party removed the popular and aggressive former president, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, before the 2023 assembly elections, only to later reward him with a Union minister post – a move seen as a signal to others in the state unit that the central leadership rewards hard work, even amidst internal disputes.

Speaking to The Wire on the condition of anonymity, a senior RSS leader from the Telugu states explained the rationale behind choosing a party veteran.

“It is in this context that Ramachander Rao’s election gains significance. He is an old timer and party loyalist and RSS ideologue. So the party by electing him chose a consensus candidate, thereby cooling and keeping the factions at bay,” he said.

“This will also help in building organisation and a political base for the BJP. And finally, it gives a strong signal to everybody that party loyalty is paramount. Party loyalty is what matters more than being a mass leader,” he added.

Political analysts suggest Rao's selection reflects a strategic decision to appoint a quiet organiser to strengthen the party's foundations, rather than an aggressive street fighter needed for an immediate election campaign. With state elections more than three years away, the priority is seen as building organisational cohesion, a task for which Rao is considered better suited.

Raja Singh’s resignation

The appointment, however, immediately triggered dissent. T. Raja Singh, the MLA for Goshamahal, resigned from the BJP, alleging that the party’s internal democracy was being undermined. He proved his electoral strength in 2018 when he was the party's sole winner from Hyderabad, at a time when other senior state leaders had lost their seats. This is partly attributed to his strong local base, built on his own dedicated cadre.

He claimed that when he went to the party office to file his nomination for the president's post, the papers were snatched from him and his supporters were threatened with suspension.

“Some individuals, driven by personal interests, have misled the central leadership and taken decisions by running the show from behind the curtain,” Singh wrote in his resignation letter.

Despite his resignation, many observers believe Singh’s departure may be temporary. Known for his uncompromising, often inflammatory, Hindutva rhetoric, his political identity is intrinsically linked to the BJP. His career has been marked by multiple controversies, including a temporary suspension from the BJP in 2022 for alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

Charan Teja, a senior independent journalist from Telangana, described the dynamic saying, “Raja Singh is like the naughty kid of the family [the family here is Sangh Parivar]. The BJP knows he will go to any extent, for the party and most importantly, the ideology of the party. Moreover, he has done this before; these are tantrums and I think the BJP will condone them this time as well.”

Why not Eatela Rajender?

The decision to bypass Eatela Rajender, a powerful Backward Class (BC) leader who was widely expected to get the post, has been the subject of much political analysis. Observers point to several factors that likely worked against him.

Firstly, there was significant internal opposition to his candidacy from key leaders and factions, creating what some described as an "Etela Rajender vs. the Rest of BJP" situation.

Secondly, a key expectation that Rajender's stature would trigger a wave of defections from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and other parties did not materialise. Despite being head of the party's joining committee, he failed to attract any significant leaders, which was seen as a major political failure.

Thirdly was Rajender's perceived ideological distance from the party's core Hindutva principles. Unlike other leaders who join the BJP and actively embrace its nationalist rhetoric, Rajender (a former radical left student leader) largely remained what some observers called a 'non-Hindutva face' of the party. This may have prevented him from fully inspiring the dedicated party cadre.

His perceived softness towards his former party, the BRS, and its leader K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) also damaged his credibility. His recent statements on the Kaleshwaram project investigation were also seen within the BJP as an attempt to shield KCR.

Finally, as a former finance minister in the BRS government, Rajender is seen as politically vulnerable and a target for the ruling Congress party in connection with the Kaleshwaram case and phone-tapping case. Furthermore, analysts note that with a less ambitious figure like Rao at the helm, the party retains the flexibility to go into future elections promoting a collective leadership model, rather than being limited to a single, powerful chief ministerial face.

The BJP’s broader strategy in Telangana

The appointment of Rao, a Brahmin, also comes as a surprise in the context of the BJP’s outreach to backward classes. Some analysts argue the party is moving beyond simple "tokenism."

According to Charan Teja, the BJP’s strategy is a cultural one, aimed at integrating local Telangana traditions and OBC figures into a larger Hindu nationalist narrative.

“What the BJP is doing is to charge OBC sentiment, not with social justice rhetoric but nationalist rhetoric," he told The Wire. 

"Sardar Papanna, a folk hero of the Gouds... is now being celebrated by the BJP as a Hindu leader who fought against the Muslim overlords. They did the same with Shivaji as well. I would say OBC sentiment and mobilisation in Telangana is circumscribed by Hindu nationalist ideology, drawing from national Hindutva history to retell and reinterpret Telangana history and culture,” he said.

This approach, he says, allows the BJP to build a broad Hindu identity that seeks to transcend caste divisions, making the caste of the party president a less critical factor, especially when elections are not imminent. 

The focus for now, it seems, is on strengthening the party's organisational structure and ideological base. The immediate test for the new leadership will be the upcoming local body elections, which the party hopes to use as a springboard to establish itself as the primary alternative to the ruling Congress.

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