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Updated: Mar 26, 2019 13:01 IST

The BJP has fielded Tejasvi Surya, a 28-year-old lawyer, for the Bengaluru South Lok Sabha constituency in a surprise pick against senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad.

Senior BJP leaders had finalised the name of Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, wife of the late HN Ananth Kumar. Ananth Kumar, the former Union minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had won the seat for six consecutive terms.

A senior BJP leader, who was part of the candidate selection process, said that the party was looking at the long-term future after some leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) questioned the logic of banking on sympathy in the crucial Lok Sabha election 2019.

In a series of tweets, an elated Surya said the decision to pick a novice like him could only be taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party as he thanked several people, including Ananth Kumar, Tejaswini, and the RSS among others for believing in 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 (sic),” he tweeted.

Surya, the general secretary of the BJP’s youth wing, is the nephew of BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya and joined the party four years ago.

“Ananthkumar Ji & @Tej_AnanthKumar ma’am have groomed me from my high school days. I had pestered Tejaswini maam to send me on Jan Chetna Yatra along with AK Ji. She somehow convinced Sir to take me along. I saw my first Bharat Darshan. You both have made me the man I am today (sic),” Surya posted.

“I know that you all have bestowed me with this opportunity with lot of hope in my potential to serve our cause and country. What I have done till now to deserve this is less. What you expect of me is immense. This burden is heavy, but I am confident that I will carry it ably,” Surya wrote.

Tejaswini had to take to Twitter to urge supporters of Ananth Kumar, who were not happy with the decision, to put the interests of the party before their appreciation for the former Union minister.

“My urge all the BJP karyakartas, friends and well-wishers who are anxious and upest & still visting our house in large numbers Time to show we are a ‘party with a difference’. We are all committed to tread the path of ideology. And work for #NamoAgain2019 (sic),” she said.

Bengaluru South will vote on April 18, the second round of the seven-phased Lok Sabha election 2019. The results will be declared on May 23.