POLLS: BJP names K Venkataramana Reddy against KCR in Kamareddy

Nizamabad: Former zilla parishad chairman K Venkataramana Reddy is being fielded by the BJP against chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao in Kamareddy in the undivided Nizamabad district.

Of the nine assembly constituencies, the BJP high command on Sunday declared the names for five constituencies.

Notably, BJP became the first party to field two former women MLA candidates – A Annapurna from Balkonda and T Aruna Tara from Jukkal constituencies. Dr A Mallikarjun Reddy, who worked hard to strengthen the BJP in the Balkonda segment was kept aside and his mother Annapurna was named as the candidate there. She may give tough competition to the BRS and Congress nominees V Prashanth Reddy and M Sunil Kumar Reddy respectively.

In Armoor, the BJP gave a chance to Paidi Rakesh Reddy. Initially, feelings were that MP Arvind Dharmapuri might be fielded from Armoor. For the last six months, Rakesh Reddy and his family members conducted extensive tours of the Armoor constituency to garner the support of the voters. Being a new face to the constituency, Rakesh Reddy could make a better impact, and feel the BJP leadership.

BJP state executive member Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta got the ticket for the Nizamabad urban assembly constituency. Gupta has continued both party and charity activities while the BJP denied MLA ticket in the 2018 assembly polls.

Former MLA Endala Laxminarayana and BJP district president Baswapuram Laxminarsaiah too expected a ticket from here but in vain.

In the Jukkal assembly constituency, former MLA and BJP Kamareddy district president T Aruna Tara got the chance. As BJP district president, she has been active in the backward Jukkal assembly constituency for the last few years. The present women's quota initiative in politics helped Aruna Tara get the MLA ticket.
Meanwhile, BJP activists on Sunday burst crackers in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts to hail the naming of the party candidates.

Meanwhile, the stalemate continued over the finalisation of party candidates for Bodhan and Nizamabad rural assembly constituencies. Medapati Prakash Reddy and V Mohan Reddy have aspired for the party ticket from Bodhan, but the party decided to conduct another flash survey to choose the candidate.

The BJP, it appears, is strategically holding the candidature of Bodhan till the announcement of both the BRS and Congress candidates.

In Nizamabad rural, MP Arvind is backing K Dinesh Kumar for the MLA ticket, but former MLA Endala Laxminarayana is seriously trying for this ticket. Reportedly, RSS, VHP, etc favoured Laxminarayana for the seat. All these led to a stalemate in the Nizamabad rural and Bodhan candidate selections. Also, the Yellareddy and Banswada constituency tickets have also not been finalised.