Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender finds himself in a tight spot following the disclosure of sensational report of the judicial commission headed by Justice P C Ghose on the irregularities committed in the Kaleshwaram project construction.
The Ghose Commission report has implicated Eatala among others in administrative lapses and irregularities.
The report clearly said Eatala demonstrated "lack of commitment and integrity in safeguarding the financial and economic health of the newly formed state."
It said Eatala tried to avoid responsibility by pleading ignorance of crucial financial decisions related to the project.
“He is a tacit perpetrator and was oblivious/ignorant of financial implications and rules. He lacked commitment and integrity in safeguarding state finances,” the commission said.
Although he tried to shield himself by diplomatically responding before the commission and citing cabinet decisions to distance himself from blame, his public statements lacked clarity. The damage seems to be done.
Once a trusted lieutenant of Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao during the Telangana statehood movement, Eatala is presently in an increasingly vulnerable position; both within the BJP and and in public perception.
Eatala is not a political opportunist who joined BRS (then TRS) for personal gain. He was a genuine participant in the Telangana agitation, standing firm against the ridicule of united Andhra proponents like Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and pressure from then CM Kiran Kumar Reddy.
However, after falling out with KCR, he sought refuge in the BJP, not because of ideological alignment, but as a political necessity. His ideological roots lie in the PDSU school of thought, traditionally at odds with the BJP's ideology.
Since his entry into the BJP, Eatala has struggled to fit in. He shares a strained relationship with leaders from the traditional Sangh Parivar background, including former state presidents Bandi Sanjay and G Kishan Reddy.
These internal frictions have even reached the notice of the BJP’s national leadership.With Prime Minister Modi himself having termed Kaleshwaram as an “ATM of corruption,” the BJP has been eager to hand over the investigation to the CBI.
The party hopes to use the issue as a political weapon, especially if the prospect of a BRS-BJP merger arises in the future. In such a scenario, the BJP aims to dictate terms, something Eatala may not like.
The fallout of the Kaleshwaram issue has only compounded Eatala’s internal troubles in the BJP. Already under pressure from ideological purists and lacking strong intra-party support, the latest allegations further weaken his position.
Unlike some of his colleagues, Eatala has never been a Hindutva ideologue, and to this day, he remains somewhat out of sync with the BJP’s ideological core.
With the shadow of the Kaleshwaram report hanging over him, and the resurgence of old ABVP-BJYM factions under Ramchander Rao’s leadership, political observers are watching closely to see how Etela navigates this storm.
