The strategic announcement of the candidature of Nomula Bhagat Yadav by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi for the forthcoming by-election to Nagarjunasagar assembly seat has posed a big challenge for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Congress has already announced veteran leader and former home minister K Jana Reddy as its candidate and he has already been ahead others in the campaign.
And with the TRS announcing the name of Bhagat, son of late Nomula Narasimhaiah whose death necessitated the by-election, the contest has become tough.
For the BJP, it is a must to win the Nagarjunsagar to bounce back and prove that it is the only powerful alternative to the TRS.
Having wrested Dubbak seat from the TRS and putting up tremendous show in the GHMC elections, the BJP was in high spirits.
However, the BJP had to go on the backfoot following the loss in the recent elections to two MLC seats from graduates’ constituencies. So, it is faced with a compulsory win situation in Nagarjunasagar.
According to latest reports, the BJP leadership has finalised the candidature of Panugothu Ravi Kumar, a prominent BC leader with sound financial background.
According to sources, the BJP is roping in senior actress and firebrand leader Vijayashanti to lead the party’s campaign in Nagarjunasagar constituency. She would be the star campaigner in the bypolls.
Apart from her, all the top stalwarts of the BJP including Bandi Sanjay, D K Aruna, G Kishan Reddy, Dr Laxman, T Raja Singh, M Raghunandan Rao, Babu Mohan and Mothkupalli Narasimhulu would also extensive campaign for the BJP candidate.
