BJP replaces Dattatreya with former MLA G Kishan Reddy as Secunderabad candidate

BJP Thursday replaced former Union Minister and sitting MP Bandaru Dattatreya with former MLA G Kishan Reddy as its candidate from Secunderabad here for the Lok Sabha elections, as the party announced the first list of ten candidates for Telangana. A four time MP, Dattatreya's name did not figure among candidates for Telangana announced by the party Thursday. Dattatreya is representing Secunderabad in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Among other candidates announced by BJP, senior Congress leader and former minister D K Aruna, who joined the BJP this week, would fight the polls from Mahabubnagar.

BJP MLC N Ramachandra Rao has been named the candidate from Malkajgiri. The other candidates in the list include Karimnagar- Bandi Sanjay, Nizamabad- D Aravind, Nagarkurnool (SC)- Bangaru Shruti, Nalgonda - Garlapati Jithender Kumar, Bhongir- PV Shamsunder Rao, Warangal-Chinta Samba Murthy and Mahabubabad- Jatothu Hussain Naik. Telangana, which has 17 Lok Sabha segments, goes to the polls in the first phase on April 11. The names of the candidates for Telangana were part of the first list of 184 nominees for Lok Sabha polls announced by senior BJP leader J P Nadda in Delhi Thursday evening.

(With inputs from agencies.)