‘Resigned from party, not ideology': Firebrand BJP MLA T Raja Singh quits after 3 terms over Ramchander Rao's elevation as state chief; slams backroom ‘coterie'
HYDERABAD: In a dramatic escalation of internal dissent within the Telangana BJP, Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh submitted his resignation to the party on Monday, protesting the appointment of N Ramchander Rao as new state unit chief.
He submitted a strongly worded two-page letter, addressed to outgoing president and Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy.
Considered the party's Hindutva posterboy in Telangana, Singh was never afraid to court controversy.
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He was arrested by the police and even suspended by the party in 2022 for his comments on Prophet Mohammed to protest against stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui's show in Hyderabad.
Though he did not submit a formal resignation to the speaker of the assembly, Singh urged Kishan Reddy to notify speaker G Prasad Kumar about his resignation.
"I was threatened by the party not to file my nomination for the state chief post," he told reporters earlier in the day. "I have made enemies out of terrorists for the party's sake, but now the time has come to step away," he claimed.
Singh arrived at the BJP state office with his supporters, intending to file his nomination for the party president's post, only to be met with pressure and resistance, according to his own account.
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His resignation was later handed over at the office, despite last-minute efforts by Union minister of state for home and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay to placate him. Sources said Singh's letter will be forwarded to BJP national president JP Nadda.
Frustrated with choice of those handed leadership: Raja Singh
Though Raja Singh 's exit seemed sudden, insiders suggest it was long brewing. Since being elected for a third consecutive term in 2023, Singh had distanced himself from the party's core activities and grown increasingly vocal in his criticism of senior leaders, especially Kishan Reddy, whom he accused of being soft on the ruling Congress in Telangana.
He did not hold back in his resignation letter either. 'This decision has come as a shock and disappointment, not just to me, but to lakhs of karyakartas, leaders, and voters who have stood by the BJP through every high and low,' Singh wrote.
Singh also warned that the leadership change could undo years of grassroots mobilisation and 'push the party into avoidable setbacks.'
He said, 'We had the best opportunity in years to bring the BJP to power in Telangana.
But that hope is now giving way to frustration and disillusionment—not because of the people, but because of those being handed the reins of leadership.'
His most pointed criticism was aimed at what he called a 'coterie of leaders running the show from behind the curtain,' who he alleged have 'misled the central leadership' for personal gain.
'Many capable MLAs, MPs, and senior leaders have worked tirelessly for the party's growth, only to be sidelined in crucial decisions,' he said in his letter.
Even as the BJP formally transitions to new leadership, party insiders say it may take time before the implications of Singh's resignation and related concerns are formally addressed. As per anti-defection laws, if the party president forwards an MLA's resignation to the speaker, the speaker is empowered to take swift action and may declare the seat vacant, effectively ending the legislator's tenure in the assembly.
Singh ended his letter by affirming his unwavering commitment to Hindutva. 'I may have resigned from the party, but not from the ideology,' he declared.
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