Buoyed by open door for party hoppers, lateral entrants, BJP eyes force multiplier in LS fray

The six lists of the Lok Sabha candidates released by the incumbent BJP till now – accounting for just above 400 candidates – have over two dozen leaders who switched to its fold from other parties after the last Lok Sabha elections in May 2019. They also have some high-profile faces who made lateral entry into the party.

The BJP’s candidate lists feature more defectors in the southern states, where it is relatively weaker.

In Telangana, the BJP has fielded several candidates who recently crossed over from other parties, with the BRS bearing the brunt of these defections. That includes Godam Nagesh, who joined the BJP recently and has been fielded from Adilabad, replacing sitting BJP MP Soyam Bapu Rao. Similarly, former BRS MP A Seetaram Naik has been fielded from the Mahabubabad (ST reserved) seat, while former BRS MLA Saida Reddy will fight on the party’s ticket from Nalgonda.

Two-time BRS MP B B Patil, who joined the BJP a month ago, has been fielded from his constituency Zaheerabad, which he had won in 2019. Nagarkurnool MP P Ramulu, who quit the BRS to join the BJP recently, has got his son P Bharat fielded from his constituency, while former BRS MLA Aroori Ramesh, who too joined the BJP recently, has been fielded from Warangal.

D K Aruna, who had joined the BJP just before the 2019 polls, has got the ticket from Mahabubnagar. Former Telangana minister Etela Rajender, who joined the BJP after quitting the TRS in 2021, has been fielded from Malkajgiri. Boora N Goud, who quit the TRS to join the BJP in 2022, is the party’s candidate from Bhongir.

So far, there are two Congress turncoats in the BJP list from Telangana. Gomasa Srinivas has been fielded from Peddapalle, while Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who joined in 2022, will