Will BJP's Arvind Dharmapuri Repeat His Victory In Telangana's Nizamabad? (image-X/Arvinddharmapuri)The current member of Parliament representing the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, Arvind Dharmapuri, is a formidable figure in Telangana’s political arena. Known for his controversial remarks, Dharmapuri has made significant strides in his political career within his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He is the youngest son of D. Srinivas, a prominent Congress leader and three-time former MLA from Nizamabad. His grandfather, Dharmapuri Venkat Ram, was a member of the Jan Sangh. Despite his father’s allegiance to the Congress party, Dharmapuri joined the BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Interestingly, he also has a cricketing background, having played a first-class match for Hyderabad in 1995–96.
Dharmapuri made headlines when he defeated former BRS MP K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, also known as KCR, while defeating the world record of 184 candidates from Nizamabad in the 2019 general elections. Securing victory with a record-breaking margin, he gained 45.22% of the vote share, establishing a strong foothold for the BJP in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency.
Nizamabad, one of the 17 constituencies in Telangana, has historically been a Congress stronghold, with INC candidates winning 11 out of 16 general elections. However, after the formation of Telangana, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) won the seat for the first time in the 2014 general election.
Belonging to the OBC Munnuru Kapu community, Dharmapuri also contested the Assembly elections from Korutla but lost to BRS candidate Dr. Kalvakuntla Sanjay in 2023.
As an MP, Dharmapuri played a key role in setting up a regional centre of the Spices Board in Nizamabad, aimed at providing assistance to turmeric farmers in the region. The party’s graph has rapidly increased in the entire north-Telangana region since then.
Known for his outspoken and controversial statements, often sparking debates and criticism, Dharmapuri has vehemently opposed the use of the term ‘secular’ in the Indian Constitution and has made inflammatory remarks targeting political opponents. In August last year, during a press conference in Nizamabad, Dharmapuri suggested that only the BJP would win the election, regardless of which party voters support, sparking outrage among the BRS. His remark of “Aayega toh Modi hi” led to BRS leader K. Kavitha urging the Election Commission to look into the matter, casting doubts on the voting process. His comments regarding people who benefitted from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schemes should vote for the PM to ensure a place in Jannat (Heaven), and his contentious remarks about opposition parties have stirred controversy and drawn sharp reactions.
The incumbent Lok Sabha MP, Arvind Dharmapuri, now has the burden of repeating his 2019 victory, which can be crucial in establishing the BJP’s footing in the state of Telangana.