TDP-Jana Sena release First list for AP Assembly seats

Vijayawada: Even as BJP is yet finalise a decision on forming a tripartite alliance in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP and its poll partner Jana Sena Party on Saturday released the first list of candidates for the Assembly seats.

While TDP released names of 94 candidates, JSP had announced five candidates at a joint press conference addressed by TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and JSP president K. Pawan Kalyan.

They said that they are firm in defeating YSRCP in all 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats. Prominent names included Naidu from Kuppam, his son Lokesh from Mangalagiri, Kanna Lakshminarayana from Sattanepalle, Nallari Kishore Kumar Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy from Rajampet and former Union Minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy from Dhone.

Jana Sena cleared the names of former Speaker Nandedla Manohar from Tenali and former Minister Konathala Ramakrishna from Anakapalle.

In her reaction to the release of list, BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari said the two parties (TDP-JSP) are in alliance and they have released the list for mutually agreed upon seats. She said the BJP leadership will take a final decision on whether to have alliance with TDP and JSP or not soon.

Incidentally, JSP is part of BJP-led NDA. Pawan Kalyan said he is confident of going to polls in alliance with the saffron party to ensure defeat of YSRCP.

Sources said the TDP and the JSP leadership have not announced the candidates from segments where BJP is insisting to put its candidate.

Sources said in all likelihood BJP's decision will be announced in Delhi by the party lealership in a few days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting in Visakhapatnam on March 1.