Ilaiyaraaja, PT Usha, Veerendra Heggade and Vijayendra Prasad nominated for Rajya Sabha. Here's why
Ilaiyaraaja has received the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan awards. (AFP Photo)
In an effort to recognise prominent figures from south India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday nominated four noted personalities, including celebrated athlete PT Usha and music maestro Ilaiyaraaja for Rajya Sabha.
The other two picks were spiritual leader Veerendra Heggade and screenwriter KV Vijayendra Prasad.
The four nominated members have had illustrious careers in their respective fields and have received national and global recognition.
The decision came days after the BJP in Hyderabad identified south India as the territory for its next phase of growth. So far, the party has been comparatively weak in the south, barring Karnataka.
The BJP is seeing an opportunity of expansion in the southern states. It is aiming to do it by first bringing down the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government. Telangana that goes to polls next year.
PM MODI CONGRATULATES RAJYA SABHA PICKS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all four Rajya Sabha picks and cited their contributions in their respective fields. PM Modi called PT Usha, who hails from Kerala, an 'inspiration for every Indian'. 'Her accomplishments in sports are widely known but equally commendable is her work to mentor budding athletes over the last several years. Congratulations to her on being nominated to the Rajya Sabha,' he said in a tweet.
The remarkable PT Usha Ji is an inspiration for every Indian. Her accomplishments in sports are widely known but equally commendable is her work to mentor budding athletes over the last several years. Congratulations to her on being nominated to the Rajya Sabha. @PTUshaOfficial pic.twitter.com/uHkXu52Bgc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022
Congratulating Ilaiyaraaja, the PM said that his creative genius has enthralled people across generations. 'What is equally inspiring is his life journey -- he rose from a humble background and achieved so much. Glad that he has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha,' he tweeted.
The creative genius of @ilaiyaraaja Ji has enthralled people across generations. His works beautifully reflect many emotions. What is equally inspiring is his life journey- he rose from a humble background and achieved so much. Glad that he has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/VH6wedLByC
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022
Praising Heggade, who is the head of Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka, the PM said he is at the forefront of outstanding community service. 'I have had the opportunity to pray at the Dharmasthala Temple and also witness the great work he is doing in health, education and culture. He will certainly enrich Parliamentary proceedings,' Modi tweeted.
Shri Veerendra Heggade Ji is at the forefront of outstanding community service. I have had the opportunity to pray at the Dharmasthala Temple and also witness the great work he is doing in health, education and culture. He will certainly enrich Parliamentary proceedings. pic.twitter.com/tMTk0BD7Vf
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022
PM Modi also congratulated KV Vijayendra Prasad, who hails from Andhra Pradesh. 'Shri V Vijayendra Prasad Garu has been associated with the creative world for decades. His works showcase India's glorious culture and have made a mark globally. Congratulations to him for being nominated to the Rajya Sabha,' he tweeted.
Shri V. Vijayendra Prasad Garu is associated with the creative world for decades. His works showcase India's glorious culture and have made a mark globally. Congratulations to him for being nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022
THE FOUR RAJYA SABHA NOMINEES:
PT USHA
Popularly known as the Payyoli Express and the 'Queen of Indian track and field', Usha is one of the best athletes India has ever produced.
She has won medals in the Asian Games, the Asian Championships, the World Junior Invitational Meet and several other international sporting events.
She has set and broken many national and Asian records during her career. Usha is a recipient of the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri. She hails from a small village in the Kozhikode district of Kerala.
ILAIYARAAJA
R Gnanathesikan, known as Ilaiyaraaja, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian music composers. He has composed more than 7,000 songs, provided film scores for more than 1,400 movies and performed in more than 20,000 concerts in a career spanning five decades.
Born in a Dalit household in a village in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, Ilaiyaraaja has received the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan awards.
Ilaiyaraaja is a recipient of five National Film Awards and in 2012, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists.
VEERENDRA HEGGADE
Veerendra Heggade has served as the Dharmadhikari of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since the age of 20. He has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades. He has led various transformative initiatives for rural development and the promotion of self-employment, reported India Today.
Heggade is the recipient of the second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan, which was bestowed on him in 2015 for his philanthropic and charitable works to uplift the masses.
KV VIJAYENDRA PRASAD
KV Vijayendra Prasad is a screenwriter and film director known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema, in addition to Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema.
Vijayendra Prasad's notable works include some of the highest-grossing Indian movies, such as RRR, the Baahubali series and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. His son SS Rajamouli is one of the country's most famous film directors.