It has been more than two weeks since Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan released their first list of candidates for the assembly elections.
Naidu announced the TDP candidates for 94 assembly seats, whereas Pawan Kalyan announced only five names in the first list. After that, both the parties have gone silent on the release of their second list.
One can understand the reasons for the TDP chief not releasing the second list because he had been in negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party to forge an alliance and earmark the seats for it.
Only after finalising the seats to be allotted to the BJP, Naidu can release the second list. He announced that it would be done by Monday evening or Tuesday, depending on the finalisation of the seats to be given to the BJP.
But it is not the case with Pawan Kalyan. He has already been allotted 24 assembly seats and 3 MP seats. And the constituencies allotted to it have also been finalised as part of the alliance with the TDP.
Yet, Pawan did not release the second list of candidates for 19 assembly seats and three MP seats. Apparently, the Jana Sena chief is yet to identify strong candidates to fight the elections in these seats, though the party cadre in these seats are eagerly waiting for the candidates.
On Monday, Pawan Kalyan announced the name of the candidate for the sixth assembly seat – Kandula Durgesh for Nidadavole assembly constituency, after an understanding with the TDP on Rajahmundry (rural) seat represented by Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary who is adamant on contesting for this seat.
In fact, Pawan himself is not certain about his own candidature – whether he has to contest from Pithapuram or Bhimavaram assembly seats or shift to Kakinada Lok Sabha constituency, as reportedly suggested by the BJP.
Now that the announcement of election schedule is just around four or five days away, the Jana Sena Party cadres are eagerly waiting for Pawan’s decision on the second list.