With Election Commission announcing schedule for by-polls to seven assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, political parties are chalking out strategy to outsmart each other.

The by polls are necessitated following resignation of five TRS legislators from Telangana region, one MLA from Kovur in support of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy and due to death of a sitting MLA from Mehboobnagar constituency.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) announced Jupally Krishna Rao (Kollapur), T Rajaiah (Station Ghanpur), Jogu Ramanna (Adilabad), Gampa Govardhan (Kamareddy) and Syed Ibrahim (Mahabubnagar) as its nominees for March 18 bypolls,party sources said.

Except Ibrahim, four others had quit as MLAs in support of the separate Telangana agitation.
The party decided to support the candidature of Nagam Janardhan Reddy, a senior TDP leader, who quit the party and also his post in Nagarkurnool in support of Telangana demand.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy held a meeting with party leaders from Nizamabad district to discuss the candidate for Kamareddy segment.The party workers favoured the candidature of former minister Mohd Ali Shabbir, who represented the seat earlier, for Kamareddy, sources said.

BJP would decide on contesting the by-elections. The party's core committee meeting would be held,in which the decision would be taken in consultation with the central leadership, former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters.

While CPI(M) said it was ready to contest, CPI state secretary K Narayana said its Left ally should have given an indication about its plans to his party.TDP is yet to announce its candidates.

Tags: andhra pradesh, Bandaru Dattatreya, by polls, CPI state secretary, Election Commission, Gampa Govardhan, Jogu Ramanna, Jupally Krishna Rao, Kadapa MP, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Krishna Rao (Kollapur), Mohd Ali Shabbir, Nagam Janardhan Reddy, south