Firebrand Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who narrowly lost the recent assembly elections to Telangana to Bharat Rashtra Samithi candidate Gangula Kamalakar, has been trying to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
But, according to highly placed sources in the party, Sanjay is facing a tough competition for Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat from within the BJP. It is from Padi Uday Nandan Reddy, a hardcore Sangh activist who had worked for the party silently in the recent assembly elections for Eatala Rajender in Huzurabad constituency.
Uday Reddy, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur from Veenavanka mandal of Huzurabad constituency, is said to be closely related to present BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, but has been associated with the RSS and the BJP right from the beginning.
Starting as a technocrat in Siemens, Uday Reddy grew as an entrepreneur by establishing YuppTV, a one-stop-platform for viewing all television channels online. It has become the most popular platform for the NRIs across the world.
The reports that the largest private equity like KKR investing in YuppTV itself shows credibility of Uday Reddy. He has a clean image in the party and has been taking part in several social and service activities in Karimnagar district.
Sources said Eatala, who is not having good relations with Bandi Sanjay, has been strongly lobbying for Uday Reddy as the candidate from Karimnagar. Since the party is also looking for dynamic and young candidates with clean image, Uday Reddy will fit into the bill, say sources.
In fact, Eatala himself has tried for Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat initially, but if he is given the ticket, Sanjay and his group might not cooperate with him. At the same time, if Sanjay is retained, the Eatala might sabotage his chances.
So, in order to avoid this internal wrangling between Eatala and Sanjay, the party high command is considering the candidature of Uday Reddy. Moreover, the Reddy community will also be pleased if Uday Reddy is given the ticket, sources said.
But the BJP cannot ignore Bandi Sanjay, who was instrumental in rejuvenating the party in Telangana. Sources said the party might shift him to Zaheerabad, where the party has bright chances of winning due to its proximity to Karnataka and a clear polarisation of Hindu votes.
The BJP has already won Kamareddy assembly seat, which is part of Zaheerabad parliamentary constituency, where the party defeated a former chief minister and present chief minister of Telangana.
It also won good percentage of votes in Yellareddy and Jukkal assembly segments of Zaheerabad, besides improving its show in Andole, Zaheerabad and Banswada segments.
