HYDERABAD: A new name has entered the race for the BJP ticket for the Jubilee Hills byelection. Nandamuri Suhasini, who contested unsuccessfully from Kukatpally in the 2018 Assembly polls on TDP ticket, is understood to have expressed interest in contesting from Jubilee Hills as BJP nominee this time.
Party sources said Suhasini is seeking the ticket, though it is unclear if her proposal has reached the BJP leadership in Delhi.
A senior BJP leader told TNIE that the state unit is not keen on her candidature, arguing that it would be foolhardy to field someone with a TDP background at a time when the BJP is positioning itself as the alternative to the Congress.
Suhasini is the granddaughter of legendary actor and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao and daughter of Nandamuri Harikrishna. She is also the sister of actors Kalyan Ram and Jr NTR.
Leaders fear that her candidature could give the opportunity to the BRS and Congress to stoke anti-Andhra sentiment, reviving allegations that the TDP and Naidu have been “anti-Telangana.”
Meanwhile, the party is seriously considering fielding Lankala Deepak Reddy, who contested and lost from Jubilee Hills in the 2023 Assembly elections. He is believed to have the backing of senior leaders.
Former BJP Mahila Morcha president Akula Vijaya is also lobbying for the ticket. Jubilee Hills is part of the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy.
The BJP is treating the byelection as a prestigious contest and has constituted a five-member committee to ensure victory. The party points to its strong base in Hyderabad, where it won 46 of 150 divisions in the last GHMC elections.
In 2023, Deepak Reddy secured 25,866 votes in Jubilee Hills, accounting for 14.11% of the total polled votes.