New Delhi: Telangana legislator T. Raja Singh, known for his communally charged rhetoric, announced his resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, citing deep disappointment with the party’s reported choice for the Telangana state unit president.
Singh, the MLA from the Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, accused the party of sidelining him in the leadership race and claimed that those who intended to support his nomination were “intimidated and made to run away.” These allegations were denied by the BJP.
In a letter addressed to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, the current BJP Telangana unit president, Singh stated that he had decided to resign as a primary member of the party due to disillusionment with the direction the state wing was taking. He expressed shock over media reports that former MLC N. Ramachander Rao is being considered for the role, describing the development as a disappointment not only for him but also for “lakhs of karyakartas, leaders and voters.”
Singh further alleged that certain individuals, motivated by personal interests, had misled the party’s central leadership and were effectively controlling decisions from behind the scenes. Despite quitting the BJP, he affirmed his continued commitment to the ideology of Hindutva and to serving both the people of Goshamahal and the larger Hindu cause.
Speaking to ANI, Singh reiterated his claim that around ten BJP state council members who had agreed to support his nomination were pressured into backing off. However, BJP spokesperson Rani Rudrama countered this narrative, asserting that Singh had been allowed to file a nomination but failed to gather the necessary signatures as per the party’s rules.
Singh also criticised the internal selection process, suggesting that the appointment of the new state president had been pre-decided, despite grassroots-level calls for a more “aggressive” leader to head the Telangana unit. He expressed frustration with what he described as political theatrics, stating, “Here in Telangana, the politics of Hindu-Muslim fraternity does not work. In Telangana, only Hinduism works.” He went on to claim that certain individuals had entrenched themselves within the party like a “snake,” and called on the central leadership to address the issue.
His fallout with the party had been brewing over several months. Earlier this year, Singh voiced concerns about appointments to district-level leadership positions, which drew criticism from the state leadership and led to warnings that he was acting beyond his authority.
Singh had previously been suspended from the BJP in August 2022 over alleged derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad but was reinstated ahead of the 2023 Telangana assembly elections. He went on to retain his Goshamahal seat with 54% of the vote.
Notorious for his hate speeches and repeated communal remarks, Singh has publicly called for India to become a Hindu nation. His resignation comes amid media speculation that former MLC N. Ramachander Rao may be appointed as the next BJP Telangana unit chief, potentially replacing Kishan Reddy, who had earlier taken over from firebrand MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar in the lead-up to the 2023 assembly polls.