Has the BJP national leadership given up on Andhra Pradesh? Does AP no longer figure in its plans? This is the question that is being asked now especially after the new national executive committee was constituted. The central leadership has given minimal representation to the party in the newly-constituted national executive committee. It is as if AP is a useless sixth finger.

The BJP national leadership seems to feel that Telangana is politically more fertile. Hence the representation given to Telangana is much more compared to AP. The national executive committee has 80members and 50 special invitees. Earlier, AP had two representations – state president Somu Veerraju and former president K Haribabu. Haribabu has now become governor. So, at least two new faces were expected.

However, the BJP national leadership chose only one person – Kanna Lakshminarayana. Telangana has four members. Besides, Vijayasanthi is a special invitee. Significantly, none of the three Rajya Sabha MPs were given any post. Sujana Chowdary, TG Venkatesh and CM Ramesh, whose Rajya Sabha term would end next year, have not been given any post. Another Rajya Sabha MP – GVLNarasimha Rao – is no longer the national spokesperson of the party.

As a result, AP is bereft of proper representation in the BjP national team. Though national party headquarters incharge Ravindra Raju and parliamentary party secretary Kamarsu Balasubramanyam are Telugus from AP, their role is essentially behind the screens.