 "BJP's Purandeswari to contest from Rajampet")
Former union minister D. Purandeswari and former Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana were among prominent candidates who filed nominations on last day Saturday for assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Seemandhra.
Purandeswari, who recently quit the Congress party, filed her nomination as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency.
She was elected from Visakhapatnam constituency in 2009 elections. Daughter of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder late N.T. Rama Rao, she joined the Congress before 2004 elections and was elected to Lok Sabha from Bapatla constituency. After Bapatla was reserved for scheduled castes in 2009, the Congress fielded her from Visakhapatnam.
Former president of the Congress' Andhra Pradesh unit Botsa Satyanarayana filed his nomination from Cheepurupalli assembly constituency. He is seeking re-election for the third consecutive term. He was accompanied by his wife Botsa Jhansi, who is seeking re-election from Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency.
Former chief minister and Jai Samaikya Andhra Party (JSP) president Kiran Kumar Reddy decided not to contest the elections. He was scheduled to file his nomination from Pileru assembly constituency in his native Chittoor district. He instead fielded his brother Kishore Kumar Reddy.
Saturday is the last day for filing nominations for 175 assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra, going to polls May 7.
Majority of the prominent candidates have already filed their nominations as Saturday is not considered auspicious.
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The eminent contestants for assembly elections who have already filed their papers include TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress president Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy. The TDP has also fielded N.T. Rama Rao's son and popular actor N. Balakrishna for assembly polls.
Jaganmohan Reddy's mother Y.S. Vijayamma, central ministers Kishore Chandra Deo and Pallam Raju and union ministers of state Pannabaka Lakshmi, K. Krupa Rani and Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy are among prominent candidates for Lok Sabha elections.
It is likely to be a direct fight between TDP-BJP alliance and YSR Congress in Seemandhra. The Congress, which won majority of the seats in the last two elections, is facing a tough time due to state's bifurcation.