BJP MP plays down denial of ticket, says he backs nominee

BJP MP and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been denied ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls from his Secunderabad constituency, Friday said he would fully support the candidature of party nominee G Kishan Reddy.

Talking to reporters, he recalled that he had contested from Secunderabad for the first time in 1984.

"From that day onwards till today, on any single day, I never sought ticket. Party gave me all the opportunities," Dattatreya, a four-time MP from Secunderabad, said.

He said he has held various posts and responsibilities, including that of MP, Union Minister, party's national vice-president and national secretary.

"So, I have full satisfaction. I am an active political activist. I take felicitations and insults in politics the same way," he said.

BJP announced candidates for 10 among the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana Thursday night. Former MLA G Kishan Reddy has been given the ticket to contest from Secunderabad.

"Kishan Reddy would have my full blessings," Dattatreya said.

Expressing confidence that BJP would wrest Secunderabad in the present polls, he also hoped that his party would grow in Telangana.

Referring to TRS' comments that it will win all Lok Sabha seats in Telangana barring Hyderabad held by its ally AIMIM, Dattatreya said there is a lot of difference between Assembly polls and Lok Sabha elections.

"That is a myth (TRS winning all Lok Sabha seats)," he said.

TRS and its leadership is confined to Telangana only, he said.

National parties like BJP, Congress, CPI and CPI(M) have national character, he said.

Congress is ideologically bankrupt, he claimed.

Talking about TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's recent comments about Hindutva (that the BJP spoke as if it took a contract on Hindutva and also questioning whether TRS leaders are not Hindus), Dattatreya claimed that it is like the devil quoting the scriptures.

"He (Rao) is stating only a limited Hindutva. The Hindutva talked about by BJP includes nationalism," he said.

Rao is talking about Hindutva while carrying "AIMIM on its shoulders", he said, alleging that AIMIM had hurt Hindu sentiments.

It is only BJP which says that a Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya, he said, alleging that others attempted appeasement of minorities.

He also highlighted the funds given to Telangana under various schemes during the current NDA regime.