Naidu, Pawan meet to finalise nominees for Assembly, LS seats

Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan met again at the former’s residence in Hyderabad on Thursday to sort out issues in candidate- selections. The two discussed names of nominees for the un-announced seats, change of nominees in allotted seats based on chances of win, a common poll strategy and release of a common manifesto. Both have been meeting frequently in Hyderabad or Undavalli to take the alliance format for the polls forward.

Naidu announced 94 nominees in the first list and 34 more in the second list out of a total number of 144 Assembly seats allotted to the TD. Nominees for the remaining 16 Assembly seats are yet to be named. There, yet, is no announcement of names for the 17 Lok Sabha seats the TD would contest. The TD and JS are facing dissidence in the aftermath of candidate selections



and sharing of seats between the two parties and the BJP. Both Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are keen on releasing more names of candidates without much internal fuss.

The two leaders have already toured several districts independently, targeting the ruling YSRC government on several issues. They intend to make a joint appeal to the voters to support the three-party alliance so as to form a government that would lay major thrust on “jobs and development of the state on all fronts.” 

Both Naidu and Pawan discussed points for a common manifesto even as the TD has already announced its Super Six and Jana Sena its own strategy to woo voters. The state BJP is yet to announce its list of nominees for the allotted 10 Assembly and six Lok Sabha seats.