After much speculation and a long silence, the BJP today announced that it had chosen to field ST leader Ravi Naik for the Nagarjuna Sagar seat in the upcoming by-election in the constituency.
However, its decision has reportedly left other leaders who were hoping to get the ticket rather dissatisfied. Sources claim that several hopefuls, including Kadari Anjaiah and Nivedita Reddy, are likely to join the BJP's primary rival, the TRS, soon. Further, it is being said that Nivedita Reddy has already filed her nomination papers without the go-ahead of the saffron party's high command.
On the other hand, rumours that Chinnappa Reddy and Koti Reddy, both TRS leaders who were hoping to get the pink party's ticket for the by-election, are reportedly already in touch with the BJP.
However, the BJP, left disappointed by its
defeat in the recent MLC elections, seems to be giving its all to the upcoming election, and has even enlisted a troop of powerful campaigners to help it clinch the Nagarjuna Sagar seat. The 30-member team of star campaigners includes state party chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, national Vice-President D K Aruna, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy, and firebrand MLAs Raja Singh and M Raghunandan Rao.