Hyderabad: The emergence of BJP leader Ram Madhav as a key player in Andhra Pradesh BJP has been evident from the recent inductions of top Kapu leaders into the party in the state.

In a phase where the eclipse of Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu’s influence in the state party began, Mr Madhav, who took up the party post from the RSS is now going great guns. Mr Madhav, the general secretary of the party is an important member of party president Amit Shah’s team and had played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir elections where the BJP improved its tally significantly.

Most of the Kapu and Reddy leaders waiting to jump into the BJP bandwagon see Mr Madhav as a better choice to approach the BJP’s national leadership including the party Mr Shah. Mr Kanna Lakshminarayana, a strong Kapu leader of the Congress in Guntur district, has recently joined the BJP through Mr Madhav. Sources in the party said this has upset the veteran and influential national leader Mr Venkaiah Naidu.

A Kapu leader of North Andhra who is waiting to join the party said, “There are several Kapu and Reddy leaders wanting to join the BJP. We are not against Mr Venkaiah Naidu as such.”