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Monday, Apr 21, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Bypolls: BJP may contest only one seat

Dattatreya says the party will focus on 2009 general elections

HYDERABAD: The BJP is not planning to contest any seat, barring Musheerabad in the city, in the byelections slated for May 29 in 18 Assembly and four Lok Sabha constituencies.

Although State BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya while briefing reporters after the Election Management Committee meeting on Sunday claimed that the party has decided to put up nominees “where ever it has strong presence”, it is reliably learnt that it zeroed in on Musheerabad finally. The BJP was keen on Musheerabad mainly to “foil” the attempts of the CPI(M) to emerge stronger.

The climb down from its previous stance of contesting at least half-a-dozen seats is attributed to the likelihood of the rank and file not getting geared up for the Lok Sabha elections if the party fared badly. Besides, the drubbing received by former Union Minister Ch.Vidyasagar Rao in the byelections to Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency seemed to have made the party against trying its fortune now.

Another reason for contesting only a single seat was that the party was not keen to take the blame of dividing pro-Telangana votes in case TRS nominees did not put up a good show in some places.

Mr. Dattatreya maintained that though the cadres wanted the party to contest all the 18 Assembly seats, it was decided to field candidates only in places where the party was strong. He said the party would mainly concentrate on 2009 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Refusing to specify the constituencies where it would put up nominees, he said the decision of the EMC would be taken up with the central leadership .

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