Tough road ahead for BJP in Karimnagar constituency

The BJP national leadership too is said to have given hints that all its MPs in the State should contest to the Assembly. Sanjay, who had lost in the 2014 Assembly polls as well, however was not reportedly much in favour of the idea.

Karimnagar: It will be a tough task for the BJP to find a candidate for the Karimnagar assembly constituency, especially in the wake of reports that sitting MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who was tipped to contest from the seat, might not be in the fray at all, or even, might be contesting from another constituency.

Sanjay, who had unsuccessfully contested in the 2018 assembly polls from Karimnagar and lost to Gangula Kamalakar, is reportedly not interested to contest to the Assembly this time.

---

Sanjay had ended up second last time by polling in 66,009 votes. He later contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and won from the Karimnagar parliament seat.

He was later appointed as the BJP State president, a post from where he had to step down after widespread opposition within the party towards his functioning style and statements that landed the party in embarrassment.

With the BJP going into silent mode after the Karnataka debacle and Bandi being literally silenced after being shunted out of the State president seat, there were reports that he might contest to the Assembly from Karimnagar.

The BJP national leadership too is said to have given hints that all its MPs in the State should contest to the Assembly. Sanjay, who had lost in the 2014 Assembly polls as well, however was not reportedly much in favour of the idea.

With not many other known names in the Karimnagar constituency, it remains to be seen who the party will field from the seat, especially with the BRS announcing that Gangula Kamalakar, currently the MLA and Minister as well, would continue to represent the ruling party from Karimnagar.

Keeping his cards close to his chest, Sanjay has not outrightly denied that he will not contest to the Assembly. He has left it to speculation, and while participating in a programme organized by the Overseas Friends of BJP in the US recently, said that the party would decide whether he was to contest to the Assembly or to the Parliament.