Bandi Sanjay is BJP's CM candidate in Telangana?

If the speculations from the national capital of Delhi are to be believed, the Bharatiya Janata Party national leadership is planning to project its national general secretary and former Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the November 30 assembly elections in the state.

According to these speculations, the BJP wants to hit two birds at one shot – to attract the Backward Classes in the state in a big way and also to target the Congress which is likely to have a Reddy as the next CM candidate and the BRS, an obvious Velama – K Chandrasekhar Rao or his son K T Rama Rao.

The BJP has already announced that it would give 35 percent of its party tickets to the BCs. Now by announcing Bandi Sanjay as the CM candidate, it will seek to attract their votes in large number. Moreover, so far no BC leader has become the CM of the Telugu state – whether it was during the combined AP or Telangana.

The talk of projecting a BC leader as the CM candidate is said to be going on for the last few days in the party. However, there was no clarity as to whether the party would announce a specific name as the CM candidate, as just announce that a BC leader would be made the next CM, if the BJP is voted to power.

But later, the party came to the conclusion that it is better to name the candidate instead of just saying a BC leader would be the CM after the elections. 

“Before 2014 polls, KCR too announced that a Dalit would be made the chief minister if the TRS is voted to power. But he did not do it. So, people may not believe the BJP, if it doesn’t name the BC candidate. Hence, Sanjay name is being proposed,” a Delhi source said.

But there are other CM aspirants among the BCs, prominent among them being Dr K Laxman, who also heads the BJP national OBC Morcha and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender.

The question is whether Rajender will keep quiet, if Sanjay is made the CM candidate. He may even quit the party in such a scenario, sources said.