BJP to put up candidate against the TRS chief

Hyderabad, Sep 23 (UNI) The BJP, which has been supporting a separate Telangana state, today made it clear that it would put up a candidate against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Chief and former Union Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, in the by poll to the Karimnagar Lok sabha constituency.

Talking to UNI here party National Vice-President Prof Seshagiri Rao said though his party supported the cause of a Telangana state, it would not support the candidature of Chandrashekhar Rao, who had founded the TRS for the achievement of the Telangana state, and would put up a candidate against him in the by poll.

With the resignation of K Chandrasekhara Rao having been accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, all political parties have started the exercise of putting up a candidate to fight the by-election. Mr Chandrasekhara Rao is scheduled to meet President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on September 26 and submit a letter withdrawing his party's support to the UPA government.

Though Chandrasekhara Rao has not yet confirmed his candidature for the by-election, TRS sources said he was convinced by party MLAs and MPs to contest the seat again, against the preference shown by some in favour of party ideologue Dr Jaishankar.

The ruling Congress party, which has been expecting the development, appears to have zeroed in on the candidature of T Jeevan Reddy, who is representing the Jagtial assembly segment of the Karimnagar Parliamentary constituency.

The main opposition TDP also appears to have decided on the candidature of L Ramana, who had twice represented the constituency.

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