Controversial MLA Raja Singh quits BJP over Telangana leadership tussle

Amid ongoing leadership tussles within the Telangana unit of the BJP, controversial MLA T. Raja Singh tendered his resignation from the party on Monday. His letter of resignation was addressed to the state BJP president.

Singh’s decision followed widespread media speculation suggesting that senior party figure Ramchander Rao may be named the next president of the Telangana BJP. Describing himself as both “shocked” and “disheartened” by the reported developments, Singh formally relinquished his primary membership.

Despite stepping down from the party, Singh affirmed his commitment to public service, stating he would continue to represent and work for the people of his Goshamahal assembly segment.

Earlier media reports suggesting that Ramchander Rao was expected to take charge as state president had cited 'sources' within the organisation. The BJP's central leadership was believed to have finalised Rao’s appointment, marking a shift in the state’s political dynamics. Rao, a seasoned high court lawyer and former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), was scheduled to file his nomination for the post on Monday afternoon.

With the top brass having communicated its decision internally, the likelihood of other contenders entering the race appeared minimal, the sources had said, with Rao widely expected to be elected unopposed on Tuesday.

Crucially, however, in response to the reports of Rao’s potential elevation, Raja Singh had voiced concern, asserting that the state party president should be selected democratically. “In my view, from booth-level karyakartas to senior leaders, all active members should have a say in electing the president,” he had said.

He also criticised past appointments made through recommendations, claiming such decisions had harmed the party’s prospects. Singh credited the BJP’s cadre for securing eight Lok Sabha seats in the previous general election.

Of course, this is not the first instance of Raja Singh's name being embroiled in controversy. In February this year, Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — took down two Facebook groups and three Instagram accounts associated with the BJP MLA, following a report from India Hate Lab that highlighted the proliferation of hate speech on social media.

Raja Singh, who has a history of making inflammatory remarks against Muslims and being booked for several of them, was also banned from Facebook and Instagram in 2020 under Meta’s policy regarding "dangerous individuals and organisations".

In 2023, his own party suspended him for allegedly making controversial statements and outraging the religious sentiments of Muslims with supposed controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad.

At the time, the party's letter had stated that Raja Singh had expressed views contrary to the party’s position on various matters. Of course, he was taken back later, but his aggressive stance has clearly not shifted.

In the present case, though Union minister of state Bandi Sanjay and MPs Eatala Rajender and Arvind Dharmapuri were also considered strong candidates for the position, the BJP’s national leadership is said to have settled on Rao owing to his longstanding loyalty and low-profile political style.

A Brahmin by birth, Rao has been actively involved in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, and the party’s legal wing. He previously served as the head of the BJP’s Hyderabad city unit.

Support for Rao reportedly came from senior leaders in both the BJP and its ideological parent organisation, the RSS.

The current state chief and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy had taken over the reins of the state unit ahead of the 2023 polls, replacing Bandi Sanjay. Under his leadership, the BJP managed only eight seats in the 119-member Assembly, but later doubled its representation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Following the BJP’s national victory, Kishan Reddy was reinstated in the Union cabinet. Talks of a leadership reshuffle in Telangana have been ongoing for several months.

With agency inputs