BJP former state president Somu Veerraju was given undue prominence by the BJP national leadership and also RSS heavy weights expecting that he would emerge as an able leader for strengthening the party after party veteran M Venkaiah Naidu left `active politics’ following his election as Vice President.
He succeeded in cultivating a favourable lobby for himself within the party and also among RSS leadership convincing that Venkaiah Naidu colluding with TDP wishfully weakened the party in the state. By making former Congress minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana as state president and Somu Veerraju as his successor, RSS leadership expected that the entire Kapu community would back the party.
However, both these leaders miserably failed in meeting expectations and moreover further weakened the party, besides severe allegations of selling party positions and also party seats. The party secured the lowest vote share of less than 1 percent in 2019 polls. At this juncture, BJP national leadership realized the mistake committed by trusting leaders like Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and Somu Veerraju and suddenly they brought former union minister D Purandeswari to head the party.
By that time, Lakshmi Narayana shifted to TDP and Somu Veerraju and his supporters adopting `non-cooperative’ attitude tried their best to weaken Purandeswari leadership. Moreover, along with GVL Narasimha Rao and Vishnuvardhan Reddy, colluded with chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and tried all efforts till last minute to prevent BJP leadership from reaching into alliance with TDP.
Denial of Lok Sabha or Assembly seat to Veeraju and fielding Purandeswari from Rajamahendravaram, his native place, is sending a clear message to him that his days in the party are numbered. Only to accommodate him, BJP bargained for Vanaparthy assembly seat, as the Kapu population is in good number there. But the party leadership selected some other person.
BJP had earlier won twice from Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha and if Purandeswari wins this time, she will practically dictate all BJP policies from here. Already the party was suffering with intense group rivalries, thanks to Veerraju’s arrogant leadership.
In 2014, though TDP allocated Rajamahendravaram seat to BJP, Veerraju feared to contest and BJP had won from here. But showing sympathy towards him, Chandrababu Naidu accommodated him as an MLC. But now, there is no scope to accommodate him in the government, even if Naidu returns to power. Even BJP central leadership is also indifferent towards him due to his failed leadership to the party.
