BJP's first list disappoints leaders in Telangana

Hyderabad: Two state leaders have expressed disappointment with the first list of BJP candidates, which included nine names from Telangana's 17 LS seats.

Among the four sitting MPs currently in the state, BJP had renominated three but left out Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao. BJP also nominated Zaheerabad sitting MP B B Patil, who had just days before joined the party from BRS.

Another sitting MP from Nagar Kurnool, P Ramulu's son Bharat Prasad was also given a ticket by BJP. Ramulu along with his son had joined BJP last Thursday.

While there was an intense competition between the party's senior leader and Madhya Pradesh in-charge P Muralidhar Rao and former minister Eatala Rajender for the Malkajgiri LS segment, BJP central leadership had picked the latter over the former.

In a cryptic tweet, after the list was announced on Saturday, Muralidhar Rao told his followers that he would communicate about future courses. Rao's tweet left everyone in the party puzzled. Party leaders could not understand if he was trying to pacify his followers and well-wishers or if he had openly expressed disgruntlement and threatened to leave the party.

“In the last few years, my associates, colleagues, dedicated workers of the party and well-wishers who toiled with me in conducting campaigns, events, and various engagements in Malkajgiri Loksabha constituency, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of them. Very soon, I will interact and communicate with you to chart future courses,” said Rao in the tweet.

Rao had pinned hopes on the central leadership for the Malkajgiri segment and has been nurturing the constituency for some time. He was organising programmes in the parliament segment.

Rajender jumped ships to the BJP from BRS in 2021 after a fallout with KCR. While he won the high-stakes bypoll held in 2021 for his home Assembly segment Huzurabad, he lost in the 2023 Assembly polls. In 2023 he contested from another Assembly segment - Gajwel, which he also lost.

Though BJP had renominated three sitting MPs from Telangana, Union minister G Kishan Reddy from Secunderabad, Bandi Sanjay from Karimnagar and Dharmapuri Arvind from Nizamabad, to again fight in the ensuing polls, the name of Adilabad MP, Soyam Bapu Rao was missing.

Miffed for not finding his name in the first list, Bapu Rao alleged that some from the state leadership were trying to scuttle his chances and hoped his name would find a place in the second list. Otherwise, Rao said he would find his way.

“Some influential state leader was trying best that I don't get the ticket. It's unfortunate an Adivasi MP's name didn't find place in the first list. They fear that if I get a ticket and win for the second time, I will be in the race for a berth in the Union Cabinet. That's why the leader wants to scuttle my chances. I was able to ensure the win of ZPTCs, MPTCS and also four MLAs in the Adilabad Lok Sabha segment. If the central leadership considers my strength in the segment and gives me a ticket, it's fine. Otherwise, I will find my way. I'm hopeful my name will be there in the next list,” Bapu Rao told reporters on Sunday.