Lok Sabha elections: BJP fields 28-yr-old Tejasvi Surya from prestigious Bangalore South seat

The BJP central leadership sprang a surprise on Tuesday, announcing Yuva Morcha general secretary Tejaswi Surya as the party's candidate in its bastion of Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency.

Tejaswi Surya. Photo: Twitter

The BJP has named its Karnataka Yuva Morcha General Secretary Tejaswi Surya as candidate for the prestigious Banagalore South Lok Sabha constituency.

The announcement dashes hopes of Tejaswini, widow of late Union Minister Ananth Kumar, contesting from the high-profile seat, which her husband had won for a record six times.

He will take on Congress Rajya Sabha member BK Hariprasad.

BENGALURU: The BJP has fielded Tejaswi Surya as its candidate from the prestigious Banagalore South Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to poll on April 18. Surya, 28, is the General Secretary of Karnataka Yuva Morcha of the saffron party. The announcement dashed hopes of Tejaswini, widow of late Union Minister Ananth Kumar, contesting from the high-profile seat, which her husband had won for a record six times. It was widely expected the BJP would give the ticket to Tejaswini given her active participation in scripting her husband's victories from the seat six times, but Surya emerged the dark horse. Senior leader Ananth Kumar, who died last year, had defeated IT czar Nandan Nilekani in the 2014 polls. The BJP central leadership announced in the early hours Tuesday the name of Surya, who is also a lawyer and a member of the party's national social media campaign team. Touted to be a fiery orator, Surya is considered to be a protege of the party's right wing parent organisation -- the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS). Besides being a part of the BJP social media campaign team, Surya heads the party's state IT cell. He will take on Congress Rajya Sabha member BK Hariprasad. "OMG OMG! I can't believe this. PM of world's largest democracy and President of largest political party have reposed faith in a 28-year-old guy to represent them in a constituency as prestigious a Bangalore South. "This can happen only in my BJP. Only in #NewIndia of @narendramodi," tweeted Surya after the party selected him.

OMG OMG!!! I can't believe this. PM of world's largest democracy & President of largest political party have reposed faith in a 28 yr old guy to represent them in a constituency as prestigious as B'lore South. This can happen only in my BJP. Only in #NewIndia of @narendramodi

— Chowkidar Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 25, 2019

I am humbled. Grateful. Overwhelmed. I thank PM @narendramodi for giving me this opportunity. I can't thank you enough, Modi Ji. I promise you that I shall work ceaselessly for our motherland till my last breath. That is the only way I can repay this debt of gratitude. THANK YOU!

— Chowkidar Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 25, 2019

My hands are trembling as I type this. Last year, I had opportunity to talk to our Hon'ble President @AmitShah Ji. The one hour conversation with him left me so motivated that I couldn't sleep for a week. His determination, conviction to ideology is infectious. Thank you!

— Chowkidar Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 25, 2019

The reason behind projecting Surya, said BJP sources, was to build a second line of young and talented leaders who can lead the party and the nation. About the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency Endowed with oratorial skills, Surya was involved in strengthening the party base in the city as well as in coastal Karnataka, especially around Mangaluru and Udupi, the BJP strongholds. Highly politically conscious Bangalore South has remained anti-Congress since 1977, barring once when former late chief minister R Gundu Rao got elected in the 1989 polls. Bangalore South has eight assembly segments, with BJP holding five and Congress three after the 2018 assembly polls. True to its cosmopolitan nature, the constituency has considerable share of Brahmin, Vokkaliga and Muslim voters and a mix of upper and middle class voters. The constituency was under the hold of the erstwhile Janata Party after the 1977, 1980 and 1984 general elections and from 1991-2014 in successive parliament elections, BJP has maintained its grip, mostly with Ananth Kumar, who first got elected to Lok Sabha in 1996, as MP. The BJP also named Aswath Narain as its candidate from Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency against sitting Congress member D.K. Suresh, who is re-contesting for the second time. (With inputs from agencies)

Published at : 26 Mar 2019 04:04 PM (IST)

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