BJP unlikely to seek Bandi Sanjay’s resignation now.
No BJP leader expects Telangana Cabinet representation changes soon.
Hyderabad has been abuzz with speculation that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay could be asked to step down after controversy surrounding his son, Bandi Bageerath, who Political observers expected the May 21 Union Cabinet meeting — which ran for over three hours — to be a likely moment for a reshuffle ahead of June 9, when the BJP‑led NDA government marks 12 years in power. Instead, ministers focused on energy policy, global trade‑route risks and the prime minister’s calls for austerity amid a difficult international economic climate.
Back in Telangana, the chatter only grew louder. Some within BJP circles even speculated that Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy might lose his portfolio alongside Bandi Sanjay. Names touted as possible replacements included Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender, Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind and Mahabubnagar MP DK Aruna — figures representing different local castes and vote blocs. But those whose names were bandied about said they had not been contacted by the party high command; none received advance notice or briefs about any imminent moves.
Party leaders have been at pains to downplay any link between the POCSO case and Bandi Sanjay’s political future. Apart from public demands for his removal from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), no major opposition party has uniformly called for his resignation. Inside the BJP, many officials privately frame the dispute as a fractured personal feud between two families that once had close ties, not a matter of party business.
BJP insiders spoken to by Siasat.com expressed confidence that the legal case against Bageerath lacks the evidence needed for conviction on the charged sections. They note that, because the matter falls under POCSO, it will be handled in a fast‑track court — and they expect an acquittal well before the next Assembly elections. Some within the party argue that an eventual vindication could even bolster Bandi Sanjay’s standing, shifting public sympathy in his favour.
Speculation linking Eatala Rajender to a possible replacement post has been rejected even by his supporters, who see the rumours as attempts to sow division. Similarly, suggestions that Kishan Reddy might be removed have been dismissed by many party colleagues. “Common sense tells that Bandi Sanjay and Kishan Reddy have been organic BJP leaders who emerged from the party ideology,” a senior BJP functionary told Siasat.com, adding that many of the rumors are driven by rivals or disgruntled elements.
As for Telangana gaining an additional Cabinet berth, state BJP insiders are sceptical. With two ministers already representing the state from among its eight BJP MPs, a third portfolio looks unlikely in the near term.
For now, with no official signals from Delhi, both Bandi Sanjay’s and Kishan Reddy’s positions appear intact. The speculation, party aides say, is the familiar churn that follows controversy — loud in the short term, but not always decisive.