BJP woman leader denied B-form at last minute joins BRS

Hyderabad: Tula Uma, who was named BJP candidate from Vemualawada constituency but replaced by another leader at the last minute, quit the BJP and re-joined the BRS on Monday.

She had joined BJP two years ago after resigning from BRS along with former minister Eatala Rajender. 

She along with her supporters joined the BRS. 

Ruling party’s working president K.T. Rama Rao welcomed her back into the party and promised an appropriate position for her in the party. 

Tula Uma, a former chairperson of Karimnagar Zilla Parishad, had served as the president of the women’s wing of TRS (now BRS). 

The BJP had announced Tula Uma as the official candidate from Vemulawada. 

However, on the last day of the filing of nominations (November 10), the BJP gave B-form to Vikas Rao, son of former Maharashtra Governor and Union Minister Vidyasagar Rao. 

She lashed out at the BJP leadership for this humiliation. Her emotional outburst and resignation dealt a blow to the party ahead of November 30 elections. 

Accusing the party of doing injustice to leaders from backward classes, she ridiculed the BC (backward class) Chief Minister slogan of the party. She asked how a party which ditched a BC woman leader after announcing the candidature would make a BC Chief Minister.

Uma held BJP general secretary and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay responsible for denial of B-form at the last minute. Though Congress leaders had expressed solidarity with Tula Uma and sought her support for the Congress candidate in the constituency, she decided to return to BRS. 

KTR said on the direction of BRS president and Chief Minister KCR, he called up Uma and invited her to join the BRS. 

The BRS leader said it was unfortunate that a BC community leader was denied a ticket even after announcing her candidature. 

The BRS leader said that the treatment meted out to her shows that BJP pays only lip service when it comes to the welfare and development of BCs.