The nomination of Bharatiya Janata Party national OBC morcha president Dr K Laxman for Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh has come as a big surprise within the party in Telangana.
Laxman filed his nomination papers for a Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow in presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday. Once elected, he will become the first BJP leader from Telangana to make it to the Upper House.
Though the BJP has given an indication two days ago that a party leader from Telangana would get the nomination for Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, nobody expected Laxman to get it, because he was never in the reckoning of the state party leaders.
The names of former MP Garikapati Mohan Rao, party’s national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and another former MP M Vijayashanti were doing rounds in the media and the party circles. Even the name of industrialist and My Home Group chairman Jupalli Rameshwara Rao came up for discussion.
But, Laxman emerged as a dark horse and walked away with the RS nomination. Apparently, the party has chosen him because he is a BC leader and is non-controversial and his elevation to the Upper House will help the party attract the BCs.
But inquiries revealed that it was former Union minister and present Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya, who played a major role in securing the RS seat to Laxman.
Both enjoy friendly relations and Laxman represented Musheerabad constituency which was part of Secunderabad parliamentary constituency represented by Dattatreya in the past.
However, there is also a different reason for Dattatreya recommending Laxman’s name.
Sources said Dattatreya’s daughter Vijayalakshmi is eyeing Musheerabad assembly seat in the next year’s assembly elections and if Laxman is in the race, she won’t get the ticket.
So, if Laxman goes to the Rajya Sabha, he won’t be able to contest the assembly elections and hence, the line will be cleared for Vijayalakshmi.
That is precisely why Dattatreya lobbied for RS seat to Laxman, so that his daughter would get the BJP ticket for Musheerabad in the next elections!
