S Veerraju’s predecessor Kanna Lakshminarayana resigned from the party this week, accusing him of corruption. The BJP leader’s critics also blame him for Pawan Kalyan growing close to TDP.
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Not all is well in the BJP in Andhra Pradesh. Its state president Somu Veerraju has been accused of corruption, that too by his predecessor Kanna Lakshminarayana who resigned from the party on February 16.
Announcing his move, Lakshminarayana accused his successor of running the state unit in a chaotic manner and of indulging in revenge politics. In response, Veerraju has said, “There is nothing to say about his resignation. He has levelled allegations many times, but never proved anything.”
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A Kapu community leader, 65-year-old Veerraju was appointed BJP state chief in July 2020. He rose through the Sangh Parivar ranks and is steeped in the RSS ideology, with his appointment indicating that the BJP was falling back on leaders with a strong RSS background.
Ahead of the 2014 Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Veerraju was successful in convincing actor-turned-politician K Pawan Kalyan to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This had helped N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party — then part of the BJP-led alliance — to win by a thin margin.
Veerraju became a strong opponent of Naidu ever since he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the May 2019 elections. While the BJP has an alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP), it is opposed to TDP joining the alliance. Kalyan, however, has been maintaining cordial relations with the TDP and Naidu.
A blame game started in the BJP after Pawan Kalyan said that although his party was in alliance with the BJP, a “gap” had developed lately between the two parties. Those who agree with Kalyan feel that this was due to Veerraju cold shouldering Kalyan ever since he became BJP state chief. Nevertheless, all state BJP leaders declared their allegiance to Veerraju after Lakshminarayana’s attack, saying the latter had left because he was unhappy at not being given any important position.
“He is making wild allegations and indulging in mud-slinging. Veerraju is just following the directions of the high command and running the party well. Barring Lakshminarayana, no one else is complaining,’’ said BJP leader B Siva Naryana.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
