The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed its senior leader from Telangana K. Laxman as the returning officer for its nationwide organisational polls.
The party’s national executive decided to appoint Laxman, who is a key leader from backward classes, as the returning officer for the organisational polls which culminate with the election of the party’s new national president.
Laxman is the national president of the BJP’s OBC Morcha and is also a member of the party’s national parliamentary board.
A member of Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh since 2022, Laxman was also recently appointed as one of the whips of BJP in Rajya Sabha.
Laxman’s appointment as returning officer for the organisational polls came as yet another recognition of his services to the party spanning more than four decades.
Laxman, who also served as the MLA in United Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and headed the party’s Telangana unit, is currently holding four positions in the party at the national level.
Hailing from Hyderabad, the 64-year-old belongs to the Munnuru Kapu community. Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay and Nizamabad MP Dharampuri Arvind also belong to the same community.
Laxman has been active in politics since his student days at Osmania University. He began his political journey with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The soft-spoken leader, who secured Ph.D from the Department of Geology, at Osmania University, has been associated with the BJP since its formation in 1980.
Known in the party circles for his ideological commitment and hard work, Laxman held various positions in the party in the 1990s including general secretary and later president of the party’s Hyderabad unit.
He was first elected as MLA to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Musheerabad constituency in 1999. He served as Deputy Floor Leader of the party in the state Assembly.
He was elected as a member of the Telangana Assembly from the same constituency in 2014. Two years later he was appointed BJP Telangana State President, a post he held till 2020.
Though Laxman could not retain his Assembly seat in 2018, it was during his leadership that the BJP increased its Lok Sabha seats to four in 2019 from just one.
Rewarding him for his loyalty and with an eye on OBC voters in Telangana, the BJP appointed him President of the National OBC Morcha in September 2020 and sent him to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 2022.
BJP sources say by giving key positions to a leader from backward classes, the BJP is not only recognizing his services and loyalty to the party but is also trying to show its commitment to social justice.
His elevation was also significant as Telangana emerged as a key state for the BJP. In the 2024 elections, the party doubled its Lok Sabha tally from the state to eight.
As OBC voters account for 50 per cent of the total electorate in the state, the BJP is promoting leaders like Laxman with an eye on the next Assembly elections.