RK Roja’s Nagari grip weakens as KJ Kumar family factor persists

NAGARI

For RK Roja, the battle to reclaim Nagari is not just against the TDP. The former minister must also reckon with a long-running power struggle within the YSR Congress Party, with the KJ Kumar family emerging as a key factor in the constituency’s political equations.

Roja won Nagari in 2014 and retained it in 2019, but her political fortunes reversed in 2024. TDP’s Gali Bhanu Prakash polled 1,07,797 votes against her 62,794, winning by 45,003 votes.

The friction between Roja and former Nagari municipal chairman KJ Kumar’s family predates her electoral defeat. Kumar’s wife, KJ Shanti, served as municipal chairperson and was also appointed chairperson of the state Eediga Corporation during the YSRCP regime. The family’s local influence became a source of friction as rival camps competed for political space and organisational control.

The differences were not merely behind-the-scenes murmurs. In 2023, attempts by YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to broker peace between Roja and Shanti failed to produce lasting unity. In 2024, Roja’s nomination campaign again highlighted divisions, with key local leaders from the rival camp conspicuously absent.

After the YSRCP’s defeat, Roja complained to the party leadership against Kumar, Shanti and their associates, accusing them of working against her and the party. Local reports said disciplinary action followed. The episode underlined the extent to which internal factionalism had complicated her political position.

The TDP’s recent capture of the Nagari municipal chairman’s post has added to her challenges. Roja has alleged irregularities in the process and vowed to pursue legal remedies.

Roja retains name recognition and experience as a two-time MLA and former minister. But a comeback will require more than confronting the ruling party: she must rebuild her grassroots network and address divisions within her own political camp.

Nagari is no longer Roja’s secure political turf. The KJ Kumar family factor, internal YSRCP divisions and the TDP’s strengthened position make her road back considerably harder.