These two leaders are important leaders in BJP from the Telugu states. During the first tenure of the Narendra Modi government they were the point men for the party in many issues. They are V Ram Madhav, who hails from Andhra Pradesh and P Muralidhar Rao, of Telangana. Now they have been stripped of all responsibilities in the party.
Earlier, BJP high command tasked Muralidhar Rao with pulling down Congress-JD(S) government in Bengaluru. Similarly, Ram Madhav was entrusted with the job of installing the BJP government in Jammu & Kashmir in coalition with PDP. While Ram Madhav succeeded in his task, Muralidhar Rao failed. Moreover, BJP had to face embarrassment with the media raising a stink over attempts by Muralidhar Rao trying to ‘buy’ Congress MLAs. He was then withdrawn from Bengaluru by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. It is said this is the reason for the absence of his name in the list of new national office bearers announced by party chief JP Nadda.
Loose talk did Madhav in?
Varanasi Ram Madhav performed many crucial tasks during the first tenure of the Modi government. Apart from looking after party affairs in North Eastern states, he was also active in Andhra Pradesh. But his comments during the elections created a sensation at the time. He said the BJP might not get as many seats as it got in the previous election. BJP senior leaders at that time complained that his pessimistic comments just 15 days before elections were highly damaging to the party prospects. However, his forecast proved wrong and the party got more seats than earlier. Since then, the Modi-Shah duo has been keeping Ram Madhav away from party affairs. Now he is given no post in the new team.
Berth in the Cabinet?
Another completely contrasting talk is doing rounds regarding these two senior leaders. Some sources in the party assert that Ram Madhav and Muralidhar Rao will be accommodated in the Cabinet to raise their stature so that they can strengthen the party in two Telugu states. According to these sources, it was suggested during internal discussions that Ram Madhav should be made a minister to raise the stature of BJP in Andhra Pradesh and the Prime Minister too has concurred with this view. These sources say that Ram Madhav and Muralidhar Rao will be taken into the Cabinet to fill the posts that have fallen vacant after the death of one minister and resignation of another.
