Hyderabad: The Malkajgiri constituency, which has the highest number of voters among all the 545 Lok Sabha constituencies in the country, is seeing a contest of sorts in the BJP with several party leaders hoping to get the party ticket.
Emerging as a front-runner is educationist Malka Komaraiah. Though the seat was won by Congress in the last elections, this time round, it is expected that the BJP stands a good chance to capture it, provided it fields someone who is recognised as a local from the constituency.
Komaraiah says that there are around one lakh to 1.5 lakh families in the constituency, whose children passed through the schools run by him and hopes that he will have their support when the time comes. “There is so much more to be done for the people of Malkajgiri and I am confident that I can do it,” he said.
Further, there are around seven lakh voters from the Munnuru Kapu community, to which Komaraiah belongs, and this could be a factor when it comes to voting.
He also hoped that his association with the ‘Har Ghar Ram’ programme and distribution of Sri Rama Akshintalu in the run-up to the consecration of the Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya would stand him in good stead.
Among those also trying to get the BJP ticket from the constituency is Etala Rajender, who lost the Assembly elections from Huzurabad and Gajwel. His recent losses are said to be weighing against him.
Also in the race is former MP from Malkajgiri Chada Suresh Reddy whose record of winning might be of help, and senior party leader and former BJP general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao. Among the others are former Quthbullapur MLA Kuna Srisailam Goud and party leaders T. Veerender Goud, Pannala Harish Reddy, and Karuna Gopal, national in-charge for women policies & research for the BJP.
