BJP releases list of 35 candidates for Telangana polls, fuels buzz about seat sharing with Jana Sena
Telangana Assembly elections. The announcement came mere hours after the party's Central Election Committee meeting in Delhi to finalise the names of its remaining candidates for the Rajasthan and Telangana polls. The party has now declared candidates for 88 seats in the 119-member Telangana assembly.
The list features several ST and ST candidates as well as one woman candidate. Challa Srilatha Reddy will be pitted against BRS' Shanampudi Saidireddy from Huzurnagar constituency. The BJP has also fielded Lankala Deepak Reddy against cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin (Congress) in Jubilee Hills constituency.
The third list of candidates also appears to confirm buzz about an alliance with the Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena. Reports suggest that the latter party has been seeking seats in the Kukatpally, Serilingampally and Khammam constituencies. A Deccan Chronicle report on Thursday said talks remain underway for these seats.
Kalyan is currently out of the country and slated to join the discussions upon return. A senior BJP leader told PTI that names for some of the seats have not been announced, keeping in view of the ongoing talks. The Jana Sena will reportedly be offered six to seven seats in districts bordering Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, two BJP parliament members – G Kishan Reddy and K Laxman – who earlier unsuccessfully contested for Telangana Assembly have been kept aside for the November 30 polls. Earlier on Wednesday BRS MLA Rathod Bapu Rao and Congress leader Chalamala Krishna Reddy had joined the BJP in the presence of BJP president J P Nadda in Delhi. Both leaders had been denied tickets by their original parties for the November 30 polls.
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