Unresolved Question Over Congress Changing Telangana In-Charge 4th Time

The Congress high command on Saturday appointed BM Sandeep as its new in-charge for Telangana. The appointment was made when party MP Rahul Gandhi was in Hyderabad and the move has once again brought the party's internal management under scrutiny.

Replacing Meenakshi Natarajan with immediate effect on November 14, the decision marks the fourth successive change in the state's Congress leadership sequence since January 2023 after the party captured power in the southern state.

The succession began with Manikrao Thakare, who replaced Manickam Tagore in January 2023. Under Thakare the party won polls in Telangana and Revanth Reddy was appointed chief minister. However, within the month he was shifted out and Deepa Dasmunsi took over in December that year, followed by Natarajan in February 2025.

Sandeep is now entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the party's affairs in a state where Congress has been in power since December 2023.

The tenure of Natarajan, who is widely recognised as a close associate of Rahul Gandhi, exposed faultlines between the state government, the Telangana Congress and the national leadership. The differences were largely organisational and political rather than explicitly personal.

The Hyderabad University's Kancha Gachibowli land controversy became a major flashpoint when Natarajan's reported support for protesting University of Hyderabad students, opposing the Revanth Reddy government's proposed development of 400 acres near the campus, put her at odds with the government's position. The Supreme Court subsequently stopped activities on the disputed land, except those necessary to protect trees.

Disagreements also emerged over district-level organisational appointments and the induction of leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). While the chief minister's camp favoured accommodating influential political entrants, Natarajan reportedly preferred established Congress workers.

The controversy surrounding Natarajan's rejected Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh in June 2026 further complicated matters. Her nomination was rejected over alleged non-disclosure of a pending Telangana court matter in her election affidavit. Allegations of an internal leak of information from Hyderabad also surfaced which cost the Congress a Rajya Sabha seat. Natarajan is currently on a study tour to the UK.

The newly appointed Sandeep has previously handled organisational responsibilities in Maharashtra and Gujarat and served for eight years as Congress secretary. The most interesting aspect is his proximity to Rahul Gandhi and the appointment is seen as a significant move with Congress placing a relatively low-profile organisational functionary in charge of a politically important state where it is already in government and faces assembly elections in 2028.

He is not a prominent mass leader or a senior electoral heavyweight. His profile is that of a party organiser who has worked through the Congress organisation, handled assignments in different states and built relationships within the national leadership.

Sandeep faces the challenge of managing Revanth Reddy's team, the ambitions of the party's old guard and the high command's expectations while managing the power struggle within the ruling party.