The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has decided to field its legislator T. Padmarao Goud in the Lok Sabha elections from Telangana’s Secunderabad constituency.
Padmarao Goud is representing Secunderabad Assembly constituency for a fourth term.
BRS president and former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao approved his candidature after holding consultations with MLAs, other people’s representatives and senior leaders.
Padmarao Goud has been associated with the party since the Telangana movement days.
He also served as Deputy Speaker of Telangana Legislative Assembly between 2014 and 2018.
He was first elected to the Assembly of united Andhra Pradesh on TRS (now BRS) ticket from Secunderabad in 2004.
In the recent Telangana Assembly elections, he was re-elected for a third consecutive term. Secunderabad Assembly segment is part of Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency.
The party said in a statement that the senior leader remained loyal and strived for the development of the constituency.
The meeting held by KCR with the party leaders from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency unanimously chose Padmarao Goud as the party candidate.
He will be locked in a three-cornered contest.
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture and Telangana unit BJP president G. Kishan Reddy is seeking re-election from Secunderabad.
The Congress has announced former minister and sitting MLA Danam Nagender as its candidate two days ago.
Nagender was elected to the Assembly from Khairatabad (one of the Assembly segments under Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency) on a BRS ticket in the recent elections.
He joined the Congress party on March 17.
The BRS has petitioned Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar to disqualify Narender.
With the announcement of candidates for Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, the BRS has so far declared candidates for 14 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. In 2019, the BRS had won nine seats.
Five of its sitting MPs recently joined Congress or BJP.