Has BJP lost its Telangana advantage amid tussle between BL Santhosh and Sunil Bansal?

New Delhi: All is not well for Bharatiya Janata Party in Telangana. Though the party had been preparing well in advance and had a lot of hopes from the southern state, it is learnt that a battle of dominance is likely to adversely affect its performance in the forthcoming Legislative Assembly polls.

Over the past few weeks, the state BJP unit has been facing an ongoing battle between senior leaders Eatala Rajender and Bandi Sanjay. Rajender camp has been rooting for a promotion within the party.

According to sources, the Rajender camp wants him to either replace Bandi Sanjay as the party president or be projected as the chief ministerial face in the 2023 assembly elections. But this feud is reportedly being fanned by a turf war between central leaders.

It is learnt that the two are just pawns in a larger war for dominance between the saffron unit’s two powerful National General Secretaries, BL Santhosh and Sunil Bansal.

While Eatala has the backing of Santhosh, Bandi is being supported by Bansal, sources said.

Sources stated that after the recent loss in Karnataka, which is also Santhosh's home turf, his situation has become shaky in the party structure. This has emboldened senior leaders like Bansal to move in and claim their share in a party’s hierarchy ahead of the crucial Assembly polls later this year.

Bansal, considered close to former BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, may emerge as the dark horse as the party embarks on the preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Bansal played a crucial and successful role in getting the party repeated victories in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh in both Assembly (2017 and 2022) and Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

As part of his expanded role, Bansal was given charge of West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana as the party’s National General Secretary.

Has the BJP squandered its Telangana advantage?

The BJP, which was trying to emerge as an alternative to K Chandrashekar Rao has seemingly squandered its advantage in Telangana by allowing senior leaders to indulge in these political battles.

Over the past few years, the BJP has been trying to emerge as an alternative to KCR. With the KCR government facing severe anti-incumbency and allegations of corruption, the BJP had felt that it can emerge stronger ahead of this year’s Assembly polls.

With Congress’ house in disarray, the BJP had hoped to make spectacular gains in Telangana. However, the continuing trouble in the state unit is expected to hurt its chances of emerging as a serious contender in the battle for the 119-member Legislative Assembly scheduled for later this year.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a third term in 2024, the saffron party felt that it had its best chance to expand its southern footprint in Telangana.

The importance that the BJP attaches to securing a victory in Telangana can be gauged from the fact that the saffron party held its national executive in Hyderabad in July last year.

The BJP has been eyeing expansion in South India ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and with 17 Lok Sabha seats, Telangana is an important part of the plan to secure additional seats. In 2019 the BJP was able to secure four Lok Sabha seats from Telangana, which it wants to at least double in 2024.

But unless the party puts a lid on the ongoing rebellious ways of its leaders the saffron unit can say goodbye to any advances in the important southern Indian state. The ongoing feud between the two top leaders is expected to cost the saffron unit the southern Indian state where it was desperate to make inroads.