Believe it or not, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national leadership had to arrange special flights to ensure the timely submission of the "B" form for its MLC candidate, Somu Veerraju, during the MLAs' quota elections in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.
Veerraju was nominated for the MLC seat at the last moment after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sacrificed its claim.
With Monday being the final day for filing nominations, the party had to act swiftly to deliver the "B" form to Veerraju.
As the 3 PM deadline for nominations approached, BJP leaders scrambled to arrange the necessary documents.
The crucial 'A' and 'B' forms, signed by BJP national president J.P. Nadda, were not available at the BJP Andhra Pradesh office. Instead, they were at the Telangana BJP office in Hyderabad.
To expedite the process, BJP functionary TVSN Raj transported the forms via a special flight to Gannavaram, where they needed to be signed by BJP state president Daggubati Purandeswari.
However, Purandeswari was in Delhi attending parliamentary sessions, making it impossible for her to sign the B form on time.
Anticipating delays, the BJP central office authorized state general secretary Kashi Vishwanath Raju to sign the forms instead.
Kashi Vishwanath Raju, who was en route to a program in Eluru, had to change his plans, rush to Gannavaram airport, collect the forms, and head straight to the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Purandeswari took a special flight from Delhi, trying to reach in time. However, due to delays in her arrival, Kashi Vishwanath Raju signed the forms himself to ensure Veerraju’s nomination was filed before the deadline.
Eventually, the signed forms were attached to Somu Veerraju’s nomination papers and submitted. Just as the nomination process concluded, Purandeswari arrived at the Assembly and congratulated Veerraju.
Somu Veerraju had his own hectic journey, traveling from Rajahmundry to Amaravati on Monday morning.
He reviewed his nomination documents and affidavits at the TDP Legislature Party office before rushing to the Returning Officer’s desk at 2:46 PM - just 14 minutes before the deadline.
The twist in the entire episode is that the special flights arranged for BJP leaders were reportedly funded by a Hyderabad-based infrastructure company, known for its close ties with multiple political parties across states!
