BJP finalises candidates for six LS seats in Telangana

The party is likely to announce the names of candidates for at least 10 seats in Telangana before the issuance of the election schedule

Hyderabad: The BJP leadership has reportedly finalised the names of candidates for six seats in Telangana for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party is likely to announce the names of candidates for at least 10 seats in Telangana before the issuance of the election schedule.

According to sources, the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC), which met on February 29 under the chairmanship of national president JP Nadda and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, has reportedly cleared the names of candidates for six seats, including three sitting seats. Sources say union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, party national general secretary Bandi Sanjay and Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind have been renominated from their respective constituencies-Secunderabad, Karimnagar and Nizamabad.

---

The CEC is learned to have also cleared the names of former MPs Boora Narsaiah Goud (Bhongir) and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy (Chevela) and BRS MP P Ramulu’s son Pothuganti Bharath from Nagarkurnool. The father son duo recently joined the BJP.

The party high command has kept the Adilabad seat, represented by party MP Soyam Bapu Rao, in pending as local leaders are opposing his candidature. Sources say a majority of the local leaders, including newly elected MLAs, are opposing the candidature of Bapu Rao and have already informed the party high command about their decision. Following this, the party is looking for a suitable candidate who could win the seat easily.

The BJP leadership has also reportedly decided to field BRS MP BB Patil, who resigned from BRS on Friday, from Zaheerabad. Patil is likely to join the BJP during Prime Minister Modi’s visit on Monday and Tuesday.

Party sources said the BJP high command would soon take a decision on Malkajgiri, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and a few other seats where more candidates are in the fray for tickets. It is learnt that the BJP leadership was in favour of fielding former MLA Etala Rajender from Malkajgiri seat. In Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahabubabad seats, the BJP is looking for strong candidates from other parties.

The BJP won four MP seats in the last elections and with the party managing to win 8 seats in the recently concluded Assembly elections and receiving 14 percent of votes, it is expecting to win at least 8-10 Lok Sabha seats by taking the voting percentage to 30.