BJP to announce names for 13 Lok Sabha seats today

Hyderabad: BJP high command has asked the party State president Dr K Laxman to contest from the Chevella Lok Sabha constituency and N Ramachander Rao, party's sitting MLC from Malkajgiri parliament constituency.

According to sources, the saffron party chief Amit Shah has reportedly offered Laxman to contest from the Chevella Lok Sabha constituency. However, the State BJP chief has not given his consent until Sunday evening. But, the nomination of Ramachander Rao has been cleared for the Malkajgiri constituency.

Similarly, the uncertainty over the Secunderabad parliament constituency prevailed late on Sunday evening. However, in the end, it was left to Amit Shah, against the backdrop of the sitting MP Bandaru Dattatreya and party former MLA G Kishan Reddy competing for the seat.

Though Dattatreya has been insisting for one more time to contest from the Secunderabad LS seat, following the intervention of the Amit Shah, the issue has been left to the party high command's decision. "In all likelihood, the party is going to field G Kishan Reddy as its nominee as it is mulling to give chance to the new faces this time, hoping mass support to the party from the young and the first time voters in the urban constituencies across the country," the sources said.

That apart, the party has decided to keep pending the finalization of candidates for Warangal, Pedapalli, Karimnagar and one more seat from Telangana. Following these developments the party may not announce its nominees for the above four LS constituencies on Tuesday," said a senior party leader.

Adding further, he said "the final decision is kept in abeyance following the indications that one of the aspirants from LS ticket from the ruling TRS or the opposition Congress is likely to switch over to the BJP." While the list of party candidates for all the LS seats in the AP has been finalized, the party will be announcing its list of 13 LS nominees on Tuesday, the party sources said.