Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and actor Pawan Kalyan led Jana Sena Party (JSP) are likely to jointly contest nine seats in Twin Cities and other parts of the State in the November 30 Assembly elections.
Highly placed BJP sources said the party has decided to give two seats — Kukatpally and Serilingampally — in Hyderabad to Jana Sena Party notwithstanding strong resistance from within the party. The BJP leaders, who were hopeful of performing well in these two seats are now up in arms against the proposal. Mr. Pawan Kalyan, who returned from abroad is likely to meet the BJP leaders on Saturday night.
It is understood that the BJP is planning to give Tandur (Vikarabad district), Nagarkurnool, Kodada (Suryapet district), Palair, Madhira, Kothagudem and Aswaraopet (all old Khammam district) seats to the Jana Sena Party.
Last month, State BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy and Rajya Sabha member K. Laxman held preliminary talks with Pawan Kalyan on seat sharing. It is believed that the JSP chief has demanded more than 20 seats across Telangana.
Sensing the mood of the party cadres in constituencies where JSP wants to field its candidates, the BJP leadership decided that the actor’s party should get around nine seats.
In Serilingampally, Industrialist Yoganand and another leader Ravi Kumar Yadav are strong aspirants. Mr. Yadav is said to have been backed by former MP and BJP leader Konda Vishweshwar Reddy. The party is confident of faring well in this constituency. Same is the case in Kukatpally where party senior Kanta Rao hoped to bag the ticket.
The party has taken the line that JSP chief would campaign for the party to boost its chances. They have reasoned that as JSP is NDA partner and has a tie-up in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, there was nothing wrong in the seat sharing.
In a related development, Mr. Vishweshwar Reddy took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and posted an online message. “If BJP ties up with Jana Sena in Telangana, will it help, BJP, Jana Sena, Help TRS, BRS, KCR or Congress. In the online voting 41.8 per cent participants said it will help TRS/BRS/KCR.
Party sources said Mr. Vishweshwar Reddy is upset that Serilingampally and Tandur, which are part of Chevella Parliamentary constituency are likely to be allotted to the JSP.
