The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is being wary in choosing its candidate for the June 12 by-poll to Parakal Assembly seat in Warangal district after its shocking defeat at the hands of BJP in the by-election to Mahbubnagar Assembly seat in March last.
"We have taken the views of party cadres on the choice of candidate. The election committee will meet again tomorrow and list out the prospective candidates who stand a good chance of winning and the names will be submitted to party president K Chandrasekhar Rao", TRS election committee chairman Nayani Narasimha Reddy said.
The TRS was likely to announce the candidate in the next couple of days, Reddy added.
The Telangana Joint Action Commit (TJAC), however, would like either the TRS or the BJP to contest the by-election from Parakal to ensure there is no division of votes. "If both the parties fight the by-poll, the pro-Telangana votes will get divided and can well mar the prospects of TRS and BJP. We don't want that to happen", a JAC leader said.
The JAC is toying with the idea of fielding a consensus candidate and has decided to meet the leadership of BJP and TRS and place its "suggestion" before them.
Meanwhile, TRS leaders abstained from a meeting of the JAC steering committee here today and instead held a meeting of their own election committee to zero-in on the candidate.
Sources, however, said neither TRS nor BJP were in the mood to oblige the JAC. The BJP is "very firm" on jumping into the fray in Parakal since "our chances of victory are very bright", party sources said.
"People of Telangana have realised that a separate state will become a reality only through the BJP. Time and again we have proved our commitment to the cause of the separate state and the Private Member's Bill in Rajya Sabha moved last week is a testimony to the fact", a senior BJP leader said.
Also, the party would not like to let go an opportunity to strengthen its base in the region.
The BJP is said to be wooing TRS's Bhikshapati, who lost the election from Parakal in 2009 to contest as its nominee.