HYDERABAD: Keeping its options open, the BJP on Thursday evening announced just ten names in the first list of candidates who will be battling it out in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Telangana.
With the lists of both the Congress and TRS out, the BJP is seriously looking out for disgruntled candidates who have been snubbed by their parties. To this effect it is reportedly learnt that BJP general secretary Ram Madhav will be in the city to finalise the deals before the saffron party announces the candidates for the rest of the seven Parliamentary constituencies.
Among several leaders who could soon join the BJP, if talks go as planned, are former MP and TRS ticket aspirant G Vivek who will be given Peddapalle (SC), former minister and Congress leader Sunitha Lakshma for Medak, incumbent MP from TRS Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy for Khammam and former minister and Congress leader Mukesh Goud’s son Vikram Goud for Hyderabad constituency.
Friday will be a busy day among the BJP leaders who will be trying to poach TRS and Congress leaders. On Thursday, Union minister JP Nadda announced the party’s the first list of 10 candidates, which included former minister DK Aruna who incidentally joined the saffron party on Tuesday night. She will be contesting from Mahbubnagar segment.
Besides Aruna, Bangaru Shruthi from Nagarkurnool constituency is another woman candidate to feature in the list. She is the daughter of former Union minister late Bangaru Laxman. The BJP has decided to field D Aravind, son of former minister and TRS leader D Srinivas, in Nizamabad against incumbent and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha.
The announcement of Aravind has been in the pipeline for some time now after he actively canvassed for the BJP in the recent elections. BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao, who unsuccessfully contested from Malkajgiri in last December Assembly elections, has been given the nod by the BJP to contest from the Malkajgiri segment. Former Uppal MLA NVSS Prabhakar was hoping to get the Malkajgiri ticket.
Some senior BJP leaders who were defeated in the Assembly polls were also included in the list and they Bandi Sanjay from Karimnagar and Chinta Sambamurthy from Warangal
The names were announced after three central election committee (CEC) meetings were chaired by BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 16, 19 and 20.
Two women candidates in the list
Besides DK Aruna, Bangaru Shruthi from Nagarkurnool constituency is another woman candidate to feature in the list. She is the daughter of former Union minister late Bangaru Laxman. The BJP has decided to field D Aravind, son of former minister and TRS leader D Srinivas, in Nizamabad against incumbent and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha.
