Hyderabad, Feb 20: BJP’s announcement that it would also contest some of the seats in the ensuing by-elections to the Assembly has enthused the TDP. Party senior leader Dr Lakshman has announced that the party has decided to field a candidate in Mahbubnagar and would announce the candidate soon. BJP leaders are also stating that it was planning to contest three more constituencies. 

This would mean that there would be multi-cornered contests and not triangular contests between TRS, Congress and TDP as was expected earlier. With both the TRS and the BJP in the contest, TDP is hoping that they would split the Telangana vote amidst themselves, making it easy for it to get electoral gains. 

There are two ostensible reasons for the BJP to decide on contesting the by-polls. One is that it was hurt at the way TRS has unilaterally announced its candidates without consulting it, though both the parties were actively campaigning for Telangana and were partners in the JAC. The second reason is the response party State president Kishan Reddy’s Telangana Yatra has received. The party wants to encash the enthusiasm of the party workers and people, as exhibited during the tour of Kishan Reddy.

TRS was apparently shocked at the decision of the BJP, while the TDP was happy about the turn of events. The party is expecting to benefit through the split in Telangana votes. TDP hopes that it would stand to win, if BJP fielded its candidate in any three of the Mahbubnagar, Kamareddy, Station Ghanapur and Kollapur constituencies.

Though the CPI has not yet decided about contesting or supporting some other party in the by-elections, it has not faulted the BJP’s decision.

Meanwhile, there was serious discontent in the Congress party on the decision of the party leadership announcing the candidature of Vijaya Lakshmi, wife of late MLA Rajeswar Reddy.

By-election for the Mahbubnagar seat was caused because of the death of the Independent MLA Rajeswara Reddy. District Congress leaders, including minister D K Aruna, G Chinna Reddy and others had succeeded in making Rajeswara Reddy’s wife Vijaya Lakshmi accept Congress ticket. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy also is happy that Vijaya Lakshmi is expected to win because of the sympathy factor and that would be winning one seat that was not of Congress.

However, this decision of the party has disappointed ticket seekers and those who have been serving the party since a long time. It is learnt that Congress dissident leaders had met secretly and decided to field an Independent candidate against Vijaya Lakshmi.