Hyderabad: The BJP has officially announced its candidate for the upcoming Hyderabad Local Authorities Constituency (LAC) MLC elections, scheduled for April 23. This was confirmed by BJP Telangana State Vice President Chintala Ramachandra Reddy during a press conference on Friday.
He explained that the selection process was led by former MLC and Local Body Election Convener N Ramchander Rao, under the guidance of the party’s central leadership. Party corporators, city presidents, and senior leaders were consulted before finalizing the candidate.
Union Minister and BJP Telangana President Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay, and Rajya Sabha member Dr. K Laxman met on Friday to finalize the decision. After discussions, Dr. N Gautam Rao was chosen as the BJP’s official candidate.
Around 117 voters will take part in this election. These voters include 84 corporators, 15 MLAs, four MPs, two Rajya Sabha members, and two MLCs.
Ramachandra Reddy highlighted Dr. Gautam Rao’s long-standing service in student and political organizations. He has been active in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for over 30 years and has spent the last 15 years working with the BJP. He previously served as the organisational secretary for Bhagyanagara and as the Hyderabad Central District President.
Reddy criticized the MIM party, accusing it of using religion for political gains and aligning itself with whichever party holds power. He also accused the Congress party of supporting MIM and practicing appeasement politics.
He recalled that during the Nizam’s rule, a fire department building was later turned into the MIM headquarters, Darussalam, with support from Congress. He also mentioned a 1978 incident when a curfew was imposed in Hyderabad after a woman named Ramizabi was assaulted. According to Reddy, the MIM used the Darussalam property dispute to pressure the government into lifting the curfew.
Reddy alleged that the MIM has been involved in various irregular activities and has used its influence to manipulate situations in its favor. He also noted that the Congress party has mostly avoided contesting MLC elections except in a few constituencies. Despite heavy campaigning by Congress leaders, BJP won two MLC seats due to public support.
He claimed that the Congress is not contesting the Hyderabad Local Body MLC election because of fear of the MIM, and the BRS party is also avoiding a direct contest due to similar concerns.
Reddy pointed out that the recent Waqf Board Amendment Bill, introduced by the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was passed to benefit poor Muslims in minority communities. Telangana BJP MPs played a key role in passing this bill and have been actively involved in other major decisions like the removal of Article 370, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and the abolition of triple talaq.
In conclusion, Reddy urged people to unite against the communal politics of the MIM and support the BJP in the upcoming Hyderabad Local Body MLC elections on April 23.
