BJP Yet To Finalise MLC Nominees As Demand To Allocate for BC Candidate Gains Ground
The BJP is still weighing names in a long list of claimants, with reports that over dozen aspirants are in the race for the HRM seat alone.
HYDERABAD: Weeks after the Congress announced its candidates for elections to the two Legislative Council graduates constituencies, the BJP is yet to identify its nominees. The contest for the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar (HRM) seat turning increasingly competitive. The name of BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao is doing the rounds as one of the probables. Party sources said it had gained traction mainly because of the large number of aspirants and the need to present a strong, unifying face.
The Congress has named Sama Rammohan Reddy for the HRM seat and Ramreddy Sarvotham Reddy for Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal seat for the polls to be held next year. The BJP is still weighing names in a long list of claimants, with reports that over dozen aspirants are in the race for the HRM seat alone.
Prominent aspirants for the ticket reportedly include N.V. Subhash, O.S. Reddy, P.L. Srinivas, Malla Reddy, Pavan Kumar Reddy, Akula Srivani, Tulla Veerender Goud and Ganapuram Venkat Reddy. Party sources said the state leadership would shortlist three names for each constituency, with a mix of open-category and Backward Class candidates under consideration.
Ramchander Rao, who represented the Hyderabad constituency from 2015 to 2021, is seen as a prominent contender because of his experience and organisational standing. Asked whether his name had been finalised, Rao evaded a direct answer and described the reports as hypothetical.
The demand to allot the HRM seat to a Backward Class community leader has gathered strength within the BJP. Supporters of the demand point out that the party’s state president, legislature party leader and one of its Union Ministers from Telangana belong to upper-caste communities, and argue that a BC community nominee would help broaden the party’s support base. Party insiders said the central leadership would have to balance winnability, caste representation and internal unity before announcing the candidate.
The BJPs ticket race for the WKN seat is centred on a mix of BC community outreach, and organisational experience. Dr Vannala Venkataramana, a Warangal-based doctor, party spokesperson and son of former Wardhannapet MLA Vannala Sriramulu, has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner, with his Padmashali (BC) community background seen as a social advantage. Other prominent aspirants include party vice-president Dr Kasam Venkateshwarlu, also from a BC community and party’s co-incharge for Karnataka, party spokesperson and former journalist Rani Rudrama, another spokesperson Dr Pulla Rao Yadav and former state general secretary G. Premender Reddy, who finished fourth in the 2021 election.
Meanwhile, the BJP held a review meeting at its Nampally state office with presidents of nine districts under Greater Hyderabad limits to chalk out the campaign strategy for MLC polls. At the meeting, party state in-charge Sunil Bansal, co-in-charges Abhay Patil and Rekha Sharma, state organisational general secretary N. Madhukar, party MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and district presidents participated.