The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Somu Veeraraju as its candidate for the Legislative Council polls in the MLA quota constituency for which elections will be held on June 1.

The BJP has got one MLC seat from the TDP as part of alliance. He will file his nomination papers on Thursday, party sources here said on Wednesday. Interestingly, Veerraju emerged as a dark horse for the MLC ticket, though there were several contenders for the same.

Sources said Veerraju managed to get the ticket, thanks to power star-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan.

Veerraju happens to be a close associate of the founder of Jana Sena and he was instrumental in taking the hero to the BJP top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the last general elections.

May be, the BJP leadership conceded Pawan Kalyan’s request for MLC seat to Veerraju hoping that the actor would come in handy for the BJP to fight against the TDP in the event of the latter parting ways with the Modi government in future.