BJP likely to project OBC face as Telangana CM candidate

State BJP leaders, including Kishan Reddy and Laxman, held talks with Jana Sena Party chief and popular actor Pawan Kalyan in Hyderabad and sought his party’s support to the BJP in Telangana

The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to project an OBC (other backward class) leader as the chief ministerial candidate of the party in the assembly elections to be held in Telangana, even as the party’s central screening committee is all set to finalise the first list of candidates, party leaders familiar with the matter said.

Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy along with party’s parliamentary board member and MP K Laxman left for New Delhi on Wednesday evening with the list of around 40 names of the candidates to seek the approval from the central screening committee. (Mohammad Aleemuddin)

Union tourism minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy along with party’s parliamentary board member and MP K Laxman left for New Delhi on Wednesday evening with the list of around 40 names of the candidates to seek the approval from the central screening committee.

“BJP national general secretary Bandi Sanjay also got a call from the central leadership to join the committee meeting. In all probability, the list of candidates will be released in a day or two,” a senior BJP leader familiar with the development said.

According to him, the BJP central leadership is contemplating announcing an OBC leader as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming elections to have an edge over the Congress party. “The state leaders have received such an indication today, but it is not immediately known whether the central BJP will announce any name or just say that an OBC leader will be made the CM, if the party comes to power,” he said.

“The party is said to be of the view that announcing an OBC leader as the CM candidate of the party will fetch huge mileage for the party, as there is none from these sections had ever become the chief minister of either combined Andhra Pradesh or Telangana,” the leader quoted above said, adding that the party already announced that 35% of the candidates would be from the OBCs.

Among those whose names are being talked about in the state party as the probable candidates in the first list include: Kishan Reddy from Amberpet, Bandi Sanjay from Karimnagar, Eatala Rajender from Huzurabad and Gajwel, Vijayashanti from Kamareddy, D K Aruna from Gadwal, A P Jitender Reddy from Mahabubnagar, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy from Munugode or L B Nagar, M Raghunandan Rao from Dubbak, A Maheshwar Reddy from Nirmal, Babu Mohan from Andhole, Sankineni Venkateshwar Rao from Suryapet, Arepalli Mohan from Manakondur, N V S S Prabhakar from Uppal, Ramesh Rathod from Khanapur, Errabelli Pradeep Rao from Warangal (west) and Kuna Srisailam Goud (Quthbullapur).

Meanwhile, the state BJP leaders, including Kishan Reddy and Laxman, on Wednesday held talks with Jana Sena Party chief and popular actor Pawan Kalyan in Hyderabad and sought his party’s support to the BJP in Telangana.

Both the parties have an alliance in Andhra Pradesh at present. The Jana Sena already announced candidates to contest from 32 seats in Telangana.

“We shall discuss within our party and take a decision on extending support to the BJP,” a statement from Jana Sena Party quoting Pawan Kalyan said.