Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Suspense continues over BJP’s Adilabad candidate

Uncertainty prevails over Bapu Rao's future with the party learned to be reluctant to re-nominate him. Internal bickering among four MLAs and Bapu Rao is attributed to the delay in declaring the candidate for Adilabad segment

Adilabad: Suspense continues to prevail over whether the BJP will renominate MP Soyam Bapu Rao from Adilabad Parliament constituency. His name was not among the nine names announced on Saturday.

The BJP had gained some ground in erstwhile Adilabad district after Bapu Rao became MP in 2019. Its candidates won from Adilabad, Nirmal, Mudhole and Sirpur (T) constituencies in the recent Assembly polls. The party’s vote share went from 12 percent in 2018 to 36 percent in 2023.

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However, uncertainty prevails over Bapu Rao’s future with the party learned to be reluctant to re-nominate him. Internal bickering among four MLAs and Bapu Rao is attributed to the delay in declaring the candidate for Adilabad segment. “While MLAs of Nirmal, Adilabad and Mudhole are openly opposing Rao, Sirpur (T) legislator Dr Harish Babu is backing up aspirant Ramesh Rathod,” a source said.

The differences between the legislators and MP have been brought to the notice of the party leadership. An internal review meeting was convened as to what could be done to resolve the bickering and to convey priorities of the party. It is learnt that the candidature of Adilabad and Peddapalli segment would be finalised after Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s tour to Adilabad on March 4.

42 aspirants in fray

Meanwhile, a 42 candidates applied for the ticket of the party, making the selection of the candidate a tougher task. Some of the aspirants included former Adilabad MPs G Nagesh, Ramesh Rathod, Zilla Parishad Chairperson Janardhan Rathod, Dr Sumalatha, Tudumdebba leader Kotnaka Vijay and Rajesh Babu. While Nagesh, Sumalatha and Vijay are from the Raj Gond community, Ramesh and Janardhan belong to the Lambada caste.