Pro-Telangana parties TRS, BJP lock horns for Parkal bypoll

Both the parties have announced they would contest the bypoll to Parkal in Warangal district scheduled to be held on June 12.

Senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters here today that the party would announce its candidate in a day or two.

The decision of the two parties to cross swords in the bye-election is seen as a setback to the unity of pro-Telangana forces.

Both TRS and BJP have been members of Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), which also comprises several people's organisations like Telangana employees unions, but the ties between the two parties have soured since the bypoll to the Mahabubnagar assembly segment in March last.

BJP defeated TRS in Mahabubnagar, which was seen as a setback to the latter as Mahabubnagar is represented in Lok Sabha by its president K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Political observers say TRS fears threat to its dominance in Telangana region from BJP which has been a strong supporter of the separate statehood demand. (More)