The Bharatiya Janata Party has unveiled its final list of candidates for the 2023 elections in Telangana, and it makes strategic moves in the state. Out of the 119 total seats, the BJP is collaborating with the Jana Sena and has allocated eight seats to their ally, indicating a strong partnership.
One notable addition to the BJP’s candidate roster is Chikoti Praveen, known as the “casino king,” who recently joined the party in the presence of Telangana leader and BJP national vice-president DK Aruna. Praveen has been fielded as a candidate from Kodangal, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest against TPCC president Revanth Reddy.
The BJP’s candidate selection has been a phased process. The initial list contained 52 candidates, and the second list introduced AP Mithun Kumar Reddy, the son of former MP Jitender Reddy. Now, the BJP has presented its final list, totaling 66 names, with 8 seats designated for the Jana Sena as part of their seat-sharing agreement.
This collaboration means that the Jana Sena chief, K. Pawan Kalyan, is likely to appear at public meetings, campaigning for both BJP and his own party’s candidates. The eight seats assigned to the Jana Sena include areas with a significant population of Andhra settlers, indicating the BJP’s intention to target those votes. This move could potentially pave the way for the BJP to make political inroads into neighboring Andhra Pradesh in the future. The strategic allocation of seats underscores the BJP’s ambitions in the region.