In South India push, PT Usha, Ilaiyaraaja picked for Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, July 6

In a massive South India push, the government on Wednesday hand-picked legendary athlete PT Usha, celebrated composer Ilaiyaraaja, writer of top grossers RRR and Baahubali series KV Vijayendra Prasad and philanthropist Veerendra Heggade for presidential nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

The four nominees represent the four southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, respectively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the nominees as illustrious achievers in their respective fields and said their entry to Parliament would enrich the proceedings.

“These nominations validate PM’s sabka saath sabka vikas pledge and celebrate the under-represented groups. Among the nominees is a woman athlete, a Scheduled Caste music composer who endured caste discrimination to reach great heights and a religious Jain minority member,” a source said.

The list includes two recipients of Padma Vibhushan and one Padma Shri awardee. PT Usha won medals at various international events, including the World Junior Invitational Meet, Asian Championships and Asian Games. Ilaiyaraaja received the Padma Vibhushan in 2018. He is also a Padma Bhushan recipient and has bagged five national film awards besides the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

The movies RS nominee KV Vijayendra Prasad wrote have transcended boundaries and served as milestones in the journey for national integration, sources said. Heggade heads the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust for affordable and quality education and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

All four illustrious achievers, says PM Modi

• PT Usha, born in a Kozhikode village, remains one of India’s most iconic sportspersons

• Famed as the Payyoli Express, she broke many national and Asian records
• In 1984 Olympics, Usha (an Arjuna and a Padma Shri awardee) missed India’s first medal

• Born in a Dalit household in a village in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Ilaiyaraaja is regarded as one of the India’s greatest composers
• He has composed over 7,000 songs for more than 1,000 movies and performed in over 20,000 concerts across the globe

• KV Vijayendra Prasad, born in Kovvur of Andhra Pradesh, is a leading screenwriter
• and film director with top Telugu and Hindi movies to his name
• His rich repertoire includes blockbusters RRR, the Baahubali series & Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The movies he wrote have transcended boundaries

• Karnataka’s Veerendra Heggade, a philanthropist, served as Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since he was 20 years of age
• He established the Rural Development and Self-Employment Training Institute (RDSETI) to take his mission of self-employment forward