Telangana: DK Aruna, BJP Candidate From Mahbubnagar Constituency (image-facebook/DK Aruna)

In the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded veteran politician Dharmavarapu Kottam (DK) Aruna from the Mahbubnagar constituency. Spanning over multiple political parties, this will be yet another significant step in Aruna’s political career. Aruna who currently serves as the National Vice President of BJP was added to the second BJP candidate list.

Born on May 4, 1960, Aruna is a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape. Her family legacy includes key family members including her father Chittem Narsi Reddy and brother Chittem Venkateswar Reddy. She was married to veteran Congress leader DK Bharatsimha Reddy.

Her father and brother were assassinated by Maoists on Independence Day in 2005 while attending the celebration at Narayanpet.

Aruna has been a party hopper ever since the beginning of her political career. She has represented the Congress, BJP, and Samajwadi Party at various point in time. She has handled several portfolios including Information, Public Relations, and Small Scale industries.

Aruna’s political foray began by contesting in her traditional family-held seat of Gadwal. In 1999, Aruna contested from Gadwal Assembly seat experiencing her sole defeat in a political career that spans over two decades. But she reclaimed the seat for her family in the 2004 elections on the Samajwadi Party ticket. She then moved back to Congress and was elected as a MLA from Gadwal thrice in 2009, 2014 and 2018.

Aruna made a major political shift in her career by joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha election in the presence of senior party leaders in New Delhi. She then contested from the Mahbubnagar constituency under the BJP banner.