Many BJP State Leaders Eye Lok Sabha Elections

Hyderabad: BJP leaders, who are pinning hopes on the ensuing general elections, are leaving no stone unturned to secure tickets. They aver that they have doubled their voting percentage from 6.8 per cent in the 2018 Assembly polls to 15 percent this year.

The party is hopeful of winning more seats, especially in the north Telangana districts.

Union home minister Amit Shah had on Thursday set a target of 35 per cent votes and 10 seats for the party.

Some leaders assert that their performance in the parliamentary polls would be different. The party had secured four MP seats within a gap of four months after Assembly polls in 2019. They say the party has a better head start of eight assembly seats now.

A morale-booster has been the remarkable manner Venkata Ramana Reddy had put paid to the aspirations of K. Chandrashekar Rao and A. Revanth Reddy in Kamareddy.

The announcement of a tribal university in Mulugu and turmeric board in Nizamabad along with categorization of SCs is expected to benefit the party, which might field Manda Krishna Madiga from Peddapalli or Nagarkurnool.

Sources indicate that while the incumbent four MPs will be fielded again, their bids won’t go unchallenged.

In Adilabad, Soyam Bapu Rao is facing competition from Ramesh Rathod, a former MP. Bandi Sanjay, MP from Karimnagar, is facing competition from Vikas Rao, son of veteran leader Ch. Vidyasagar Rao.

Etala Rajendar, who is opposed to Bandi Sanjay, is seeking a ticket from either Zaheerabad or Malkajgiri seat if not Karimnagar. The party might field Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh from Hyderabad to build on its Hindutva narrative, while former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy is strongly pitching for Chevella seat.  

Meanwhile, the seats with maximum aspirants are Malkajgiri and Zaheerabad. The former is being sought by Rajendar, Muralidhar Rao, Chada Suresh Reddy, Kuna Srisailam Goud, N. Ramachander Rao, Perala Shekhar Rao.

Speculation is rife that BRS leader Koppula Eswar might shift to the BJP with Balka Suman likely to get the Peddapalli MP seat. Khammam BRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao might also move to BJP, though chances of the party winning in Khammam are remote. B.B. Patil, a MP from BRS, is also likely to shift to BJP.

Meanwhile, party’s state disciplinary committee met in the party’s state office. It was attended by committee chairman Dharma Rao, convener Ravinder Viswanath and members Nagurao Namaji, Padmaja Reddy and Bosupally Prathap.

They discussed about several complaints received by the party. They took serious note of anti-party activities and decided to issue show cause notices to such leaders.

Committees in around 15 districts might get new presidents. Those who had failed to discharge their duties in the Assembly elections are likely to be set