Raja misses out on BJP T'gana chief race, quits

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Goshamahal assembly constituency in Hyderabad, T Raja Singh, on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the party, in protest against the possible selection of senior leader and former MLC N Ramachander Rao as the Telangana state BJP president.

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

HYDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Goshamahal assembly constituency in Hyderabad, T Raja Singh, on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the party, in protest against the possible selection of senior leader and former MLC N Ramachander Rao as the Telangana state BJP president.

Raja Singh sent his resignation letter to outgoing state BJP president and Union minister for coal G Kishan Reddy, after he was denied entry into the state party office to file nomination for the party president post. He asked Reddy to write to assembly speaker G Prasad Kumar asking the latter to disqualify him as an MLA.

Earlier, Ramachander Rao filed his nomination for the post, following the directions from the BJP national leadership. A senior party leader familiar with the development said Union home minister Amit Shah, who toured Telangana on Sunday, conveyed the party's approval for Ramachander Rao's name to state leaders. The party's election committee is set to formally announce the appointment officially on Tuesday.