VIJAYAWADA: AP BJP will seek from its alliance partners – Telugu Desam and Jana Sena – allotment of one more assembly seat to it in Andhra Pradesh. It also wants to change its nominee from one of the Lok Sabha seats.
AP BJP wants the additional assembly seat in the erstwhile East Godavari district to field the party’s former state unit chief and member of national executive committee Somu Veerraju.
The state BJP also plans to field YSR Congress rebel MP from Narasapuram K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju again from the same seat. The party had earlier announced Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma as its nominee from the Narasapuram seat.
BJP sources reveal that as the gazette notification for conduct of polls will be issued on April 18, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 26, the party still has a chance to increase its nominees and replace the existing candidates with others, so that it can have better chances of winning the seats it is fighting in AP in the forthcoming elections.
The TD-JS-BJP alliance held a series of discussions before dividing the total 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies among themselves. Accordingly, TD got 144 assembly and 17 LS seats. JS received 21 assembly and two LS constituencies. AP BJP bagged 10 assembly and six LS seats.
Out of the seats allotted to it, Telugu Desam is yet to announce its nominees for five assembly and four Lok Sabha constituencies. JS is yet to finalise its candidates for three assembly and one LS seat.
AP BJP has announced the nominees for all the seats allotted to it.
Though all the three parties are facing protests and dissidence from those who could not be accommodated, party leaders are trying to cajole or persuade them to accept the reality. They are promising to accommodate such candidates in various posts once the alliance forms the government in Andhra Pradesh.
However, there are some candidates who are unconvinced. They are ready to contest as rebel candidates.
A senior leader from AP BJP said their proposal for an additional seat and change in Lok Sabha nominee is subject to acceptance by their party top brass as also the alliance partners.
