Telangana BJP chief Bandi’s roadshow hours after bail

Bandi Sanjay the Telangana unit chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party, held a grand roadshow Friday, hours after his release from the Karimnagar district, where he had been imprisoned following his arrest in the SSC paper leak case. A magistrate’s court granted Sanjay bail this morning.

Images provided by the news agency showed the MP in a triumphant pose, arms raised and a grin on his face, surrounded by a sea of BJP workers and supporters waving party flags, shouting slogans, and dancing to loud music.

His supporters presented him with garlands and also paid floral tributes to a statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar in the district.

Bandi Sanjay was arrested on Wednesday and taken into custody until April 19 after a photograph of what appeared to be a question paper for a Class 10 Hindi exam surfaced online and was sent to the politician via WhatsApp by one of the two accused – a journalist who has also been arrested.

The arrest of the BJP leader sparked widespread unrest in the southern state, which is set to hold an Assembly election later this year and is widely regarded as a litmus test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP’s popularity in the south before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.