Tension prevails as BJP replaces Sangareddy candidate hours after announcement

The BJP had announced has announced Deshpande as its candidate for Sanagreddy on Friday morning, but it replaced him Pulimamidi Raju hours later, without citing any reasons

Sangareddy: The change of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Sangareddy Constituency within hours had created tension as party leader Rajeshwar Deshpande threatened to end his life after he was replaced with Pulimamdi Raju. The BJP has announced Deshpande as its candidate for Sanagreddy on Friday morning, but it replaced him with Pulimamidi Raju hours later, without citing any reasons.

Speaking to state unit president G Kishan Reddy over the phone, Deshpande sought to know why the BJP had invited him to the office and presented him with the B-form and also presented the B-form to another candidate within hours. Deshpande accused Kishan Reddy of cheating him and threatened to immolate himself. “I will die if the party refuses to give me the ticket” he told Reddy in a choked voice in the presence of public.

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“What injustice had I done to the party? Why are you humiliating me by changing my name within hours?” he questioned.

Later, Despande followers ransacked the district BJP office and removed the flexi banners of state and national level leaders. The cadre also attacked the vehicle of Pulimamidi Raju while he was going to the office of the Returning Officer, forcing police to disperse the workers. Tension escalated in the town for a while, but with the police acting firmly, situation was brought under control.

Deshpande contested on a BJP ticket in the 2018 elections and lost his deposit as he got little over 7,000 votes.