AP Bypolls: BJP in Quandary to Field Candidates
posted on Feb 23, 2012 @ 11:21AM
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Andhra Pradesh is into a quandary to field candidates for the 18 March bypolls in the state. The party is still in dilemma whether to contest the by-elections or not as majority of seats fall in politically sensitive Telangana region. Of the seven seats, the party has so far decided to field candidates only in Mahabubnagar and Kovur.
The bypolls in six out of seven constituencies in Telangana region are necessitated following resignation of the sitting MLAs in support of separate statehood demand and death of Mahabubnagar MLA. Except Kovur, all other seats -- Mahabubnagar, Kollapur, Nagarkurnool, Station Ghanpur, Adilabad and Kamareddy -- fall in Telangana region which has often witnessed turmoil over separate statehood. If BJP, which is also a member of Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC) along with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), fields its candidates in Telangana region, it would be accused of splitting pro-Telangana votes. If it chooses not to contest, then will lose the only opportunity it has for consolidating the party position for 2014 elections.
On the other hand, TRS has already announced its candidates for all the six constituencies and also enjoys the support of JAC. Now the BJP has to decide whether to sail along with the fading out TJAC or to face the ensuing elections on its own, opine the political observers.