BJP releases first list of candidates for AP assembly polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party Sunday announced its first list of 123 candidates for the elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh assembly scheduled for April 11.
Only one of the three sitting MLAs of the BJP, which is fighting the elections on its own, has been re-nominated as the other two opted out of contest.
BJPs fourth MLA, elected in 2014, had quit the party to join the Jana Sena and has been fielded by it in Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha constituency.
BJP is hoping to improve on its tally of four in 2014 while the main contest will be between ruling Telugu Desam Party and main opposition YSR Congress headed by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
A sitting MLA who defected from YSR Congress to Telugu Desam and later to BJP has been given the ticket in the first list of the saffron party.
P Vishnu Kumar Raju, who was elected to the assembly for the first time in 2014 from Visakhapatnam North, has been re-nominated.
Sitting MLA P Manikyala Rao from Tadepalligudem showed no interest .