BJYM Divided as Leaders Lobby for Poll Nomination

Hyderabad: Members of the BJYM, the BJP’s youth wing, are split into two groups over the demand for the Malkajgiri Assembly constituency ticket. BJYM state president A. Bhanu Prakash and BJYM national treasurer P.M. Sai Prasad, both residents of Malkajgiri, are seeking the ticket from their native constituency, splitting the unit into two.

BJYM national president Tejaswi Surya, the BJP MP from South Bangalore, arrived in Hyderabad on Wednesday night and visited his cousin's residence in Gachibowli, reportedly with Sai Prasad accompanying him. Bhanu Prakash was upset with this, assuming that the BJYM chief was backing Prasad.

The differences peaked on Thursday as Prakash skipped the BJYM meeting held in the presence of Surya, at the BJP office in Nampally. His phone was also switched off. A senior BJP leader tried to contact Prakash, but to no avail. The meeting was held without its president.

In a two-hour-long meeting at the BJP’s Nampally office, Surya directed BJYM members to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi's welfare schemes to the people by participating in the election campaign.

After the meeting, Surya said that the BRS government was indulging in corruption. “The people had a dream of getting benefits if Telangana is formed. After the formation of Telangana, the BRS government failed to fulfil public aspiration for jobs and basic amenities,” the MP said.

Prasad said: “There were no disputes between us (BJYM state chief Bhanu Prakash and himself). We have conducted BJYM meetings without any interruption. We will bring the BJP policies and Narendra Modi's welfare schemes to people's notice during the election campaign.”