BJP likely to contest 5 seats; decision Monday

HYDERABAD: The state BJP has decided to contest the forthcoming Assembly byelections in the Telangana region. However, it will declare its stand officially on Monday. The party will not field its candidate in Mahaboobnagar but may contest the other five seats. Telangana leaders of the party, who met at the state party office here on Sunday, unanimously wanted the party to contest the by-elections and authorised state party president G Kishan Reddy to take a final decision on the matter.Reddy will make public the party’s stand on Monday after consulting the party’s national leaders, sources said. Former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya criticised the state budget, saying it would not fulfil the people’s needs.He told reporters that the government neglected all the priority sectors and development and welfare schemes. He demanded that the government release the ACB report on liquor syndicates