Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to invite applications from interested candidates wishing to contest in the forthcoming Assembly elections from Monday.
Top party sources informed that the leadership had prepared an application format, which has been made available at the BJP office at Nampally till September 10. Those interested in contesting in the polls under the party flag need to fill up the form and submit the same.
The party wants to choose four to five probable candidates from each of the 119 Assembly constituencies from among the applicants list, which will then be submitted to the Central leadership for narrowing down the choices or choose one from each constituency.
Personal details
Applicants should provide personal details, their social media profiles, polling booth, caste, when they joined the party, their political activity, criminal record or convictions, if any, in the form.
The Central leadership has already done a survey in the constituencies and claims to have an idea of the political situation at the ground level and the actual popularity of those vying for the party ticket.
In any case, the Central leadership is likely to take up another opinion about the image, popularity and winnability factor into consideration from among the applicants from the party local leaders and cadre of the respective constituencies or districts. This information will be placed before the parliamentary board for choosing the ‘right’ candidate from each constituency, party sources said.
Lack of unanimity
In the meantime, the local leadership has constituted several committees at the Assembly and parliamentary constituency level accommodating most of the old guard as well as recent entrants. But, despite several meetings, a few under the leadership of party president and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, there seems to be a lack of unanimity on programmes to be taken up in the run-up to the polls with conflicting claims and ideas, said top party sources.
With the Centre convening a special session of Parliament later this month, the proposed bus tour by three top leaders is as good as postponed, if not cancelled. And, speculation about possible resolutions on women’s reservation bill, single election across the nation and uniform civil code being passed in the special session continues in the party.