BJP likely to field Dil Raju, Mittapalli Surender in LS polls

Sources in the party say union Home Minister Amit Shah has cleared both the names and an announcement in this regard would be made soon.

Hyderabad: The BJP has reportedly decided to field noted Telugu film producer Velamakucha Venkata Ramana Reddy, popularly known as Dil Raju, from Zaheerabad, and Telangana folk singer and poet Mittapalli Surender from Peddapalli in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Telangana.

Sources in the party say union Home Minister Amit Shah has cleared both the names and an announcement in this regard would be made soon. The BJP leadership wants to use the popularity of both Dil Raju and Surender to win the two seats. Surender’s songs were quite popular during the Telangana movement and the party believes that people would support his candidature. The BJP leadership has reportedly contacted both of them and they too have reportedly agreed to contest the polls.

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Meanwhile, it is learnt that the party leadership was not able to finalise the candidate for Mahabubnagar seat as senior BJP leaders DK Aruna and AP Jitender Reddy are insisting on contesting from the seat. Sources say the high command was planning to field one of them from another seat if one was given a ticket from Mahabubnagar, for which both of them reportedly agreed and said that they would abide by the party’s decision.

The party leadership has also decided to field former MLA Eatala Rajender from Malkajgiri, former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy from Chevela and Boora Narsaiah Goud from Bhongir seats. In Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubabad seats, the party is looking for candidates from other parties. It is also in the process of selecting candidates for Scheduled Castes reserved seats Nagarkurnool and Warangal, sources said.

Sources said former BJP president Bangaru Laxman’s daughter Bangaru Shruthi was lobbying for the Nagarkurnool seat and she has been reportedly assured the ticket by the party leadership. Former DGP Krishna Prasad is said to be lobbying for the Warangal seat.The BJP Parliamentary Committee is meeting on February 29 and the party is likely to announce the names of at least 10 candidates from Telangana along with candidates from other States.