Alliance partners discuss selection of candidates

Vijayawada: Senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, went into a huddle with TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Monday to finalise NDA candidates in the state for the ensuing Parliamentary and Assembly elections.

Besides Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Jay Panda met Naidu and Pawan to discuss the selection of the alliance candidates, TDP sources said.

"The number will remain the same, but they are working on the constituencies. Six Parliamentary seats for the BJP...they will finalise what the constituencies are and who might be the probable candidates," the sources said.

The BJP leaders will take forward the issue with the central leadership in

Delhi ahead of a crucial election meeting on Tuesday to zero in on the candidates, they added. The sources further said the BJP is expected to contest six Assembly seats and an equal number of Lok Sabha constituencies

while the Jana Sena will fight it out in 24 Assembly segments and two Lok Sabha constituencies, while the remaining 145 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats will go to the TDP.

Andhra Pradesh has 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats. Moreover, the sources said, the TDP had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend an election meeting which could take place between March 17 and 20. "We have invited Modi for the meeting, mostly he will come for the meeting, date is not yet to be finalised. We proposed March 17 but a day here and there, mostly Modi will be there. Between March 17 and 20 it will happen. That will be a good way to kick off the campaign. Modi, Naidu, Pawan, all together," the sources added.

The TDP sources emphasised that if Modi participates in this meeting, it could be the first time in a decade that Modi, Naidu and

Pawan would be sharing the same stage.