The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday constituted 14 committees to oversee various activities in poll-bound Telangana and entrusted key responsibilities to a few senior leaders who were reportedly upset with the style of functioning of the top leadership in the state.

In an official statement, the BJP said that former MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who has been staying away from party activities for quite some time, was appointed as chairman of a screening committee that would shortlist candidates for the assembly elections due to be held this year.

Similarly, former MP M Vijaya Shanthi, who has also not been attending party programmes for quite some time, was appointed as chairperson of an agitation committee to plan protest demonstrations and agitations in case of any restrictions by the police or arrests during the electioneering.

Former MP G Vivek Venkataswamy, who has also been reportedly sulking over the state of affairs in the party, was named as chairman of BJP manifesto and publicity committee and another former MP, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, as its convenor.

Former minister G Vijayarama Rao was appointed as convenor of SC constituencies’ coordination committee, according to the statement.

Similarly, BJP national general secretary and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay, who was removed from the post of party state president on July 4 this year, was given the charge of a committee on public meetings.

Barring Sanjay, all leaders mentioned above had stayed away from official meetings and public rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad on October 1 and 3, respectively, indicating possible dissent among them against the party.

These leaders also held three or four meetings and expressed their unhappiness over the state of affairs in the party. Recently, Rajagopal Reddy indicated to reporters openly that he would take a call on his future course of action shortly.

Vishweshwar Reddy went on record, saying that the BJP cannot put up a tough fight against the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the state. “There is suspicion among the people that there is some kind of understanding between the BRS and the BJP,” he said.

A BJP functionary said the appointments of these sulking senior leaders in key positions to various committees was apparently made to dismiss their grievances. “Maybe, the party also wants to test their commitment towards the party,” he said.

Among other leaders who were appointed to head the various committees are: Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri as chairman of social media committee; K Laxman as chairman for social outreach committee; D K Aruna as chairperson of influencer outreach committee; P Muralidhar Rao as chairman of charge-sheet committee; Marri Shashidhar Reddy as chairman of a committee dealing with issues pertaining to the Election Commission; M Raghunandan Rao as media committee chairman and Garikapati Mohan Rao as part of the ST constituencies coordination committee.

Meanwhile, the state executive committee of the BJP held its meeting at the party headquarters in Hyderabad on Thursday. The meeting, chaired by state BJP president G Kishan Reddy, was attended by BJP national organising secretary B L Santosh and secretary Sunil Bansal.

“The meeting discussed the plan of action for the coming elections, which will be finalised at the state council meeting on Friday. BJP national president J P Nadda will attend Friday’s meeting to give a direction to the party,” the party said in its statement.