Relieved from Governor post, will Vidyasagar Rao return to active Telangana politics?

Following the recent reshuffle of Governors of five states, Bhagat Singh Koshyari has replaced Ch Vidyasagar Rao as the Governor of Maharashtra after the latter completed his tenure. As Vidyasagar is one of the stalwarts produced by the Telangana BJP, there is a buzz in the political circles that he may now take an active role in the party’s state unit.

The BJP in the state has for some time now been rallying to emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS, surprising everyone by increasing their tally of MPs from just one to four – in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Secunderabad constituencies, following this year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Amidst the assertions to seize power in Telangana in 2023, several reports claimed that BJP leaders want to see the 77-year-old veteran leader begin his second innings as he had been active in state politics until taking charge as the Maharashtra Governor.

However, top sources from the party say that the leader may choose to stay away from active politics like other party stalwarts who acted as Governors earlier. The insider said that those who were posted as Governors and were more than 75 usually remain in the background in politics.

Active during the Emergency, Vidyasagar Rao was sent to jail during the period. He was elected as an MP from Karimnagar constituency in 1998 for the first time. In 1999, he was elected as president of the state BJP unit, and also re-elected to the Lok Sabha. He served as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and later as Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry in the Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004.

Responding to the reports about the leader, Telangana BJP’s official spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said, “The BJP respects its elders and we are always ready to take inputs and suggestions. However, across the country our party is actively pursuing the spirit of ensuring younger leadership at the front with the older generation moving away from political activity, as proposed publicly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

However, there has been no official confirmation from Vidyasagar Rao about his future course of action.