Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party Telangana unit president N Ramchandra Rao, who assumed office on July 5, has said that the first challenge before him is to strengthen the organizational structure across the state, be they urban, rural, tribal or backward regions, as part of the party’s broader vision for pan-Telangana expansion.
In an exclusive interview with The Hans India, Ramachandra Rao, speaking on the party’s grassroots strategy, observed: “Earlier, the BJP was perceived as an urban-centric party. That image is changing. We are building a robust organization from the booth level upwards, ensuring even growth across the state.”
He highlighted that the formation of booth committees had been completed in over 25,000 out of approximately 30,000 polling booths. Ramchandra Rao said that the party’s 40-lakh-strong membership base had been driving this transformation to strengthen the party’s organisational structure across the geographical areas of the state ahead of the polls to local bodies.
On perceived internal differences among certain party leaders, Rao acknowledged that, with organizational expansion, came diversity. “As the party grows, differences are natural. We are integrating leaders from varied backgrounds and resolving issues swiftly,” he said, while denying media narratives that presumed discrimination between new and old members.
Referring specifically to criticism of ‘discrimination against those joining the party fold’ (new members), Rao firmly stated that the BJP treated all members—new or old—with equal respect. “Some Congress and BRS leaders are trying to mislead the public by spreading rumours of bias. This is leading to the media speculations. That’s not how we function,” he said, while urging the media to avoid sensationalism and instead understand the party’s inclusive ethos.
Answering queries on perceived ideological divisions within the party—with some claiming that their allegiance to the ‘Hindutva’ doctrine should outweigh other aspects and others citing the move to bring on board youth, with PM Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah as well as other national leaders believing it to be essential for ushering in transformative leadership to meet the 21st-century realities, Rao remarked, “While Hindutva remains a core value, the BJP is also looking at bringing aspirational youth into politics to create and give next-generation political leaders to the country.”
Rao said that the party leadership had taken cognizance of the reported differences between the two top leaders from the state, commenting: “both are leaders at the national level and mass leaders. The party doesn’t want it to further escalate. It will be resolved soon,” he added.
Stressing the need for unity, discipline, and ideological clarity in the party unit, he remarked: “Whether new or experienced, every party worker should understand and uphold our core principles. Our priority remains organizational harmony and preparing for electoral success.”
The BJP State unit chief clarified that there would be no alliance or understanding with the BRS. “It is a propaganda being spread by both the Congress and the BRS to prevent the BJP from gaining momentum, as it is increasingly gaining traction from the people in their political bastions.”
