Renuka finds no place in TDP list

HYDERABAD, March 17: The ruling Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh has dropped former Union minister Renuka Choudhary and nominated five others to the March 27 Rajya Sabha biennial elections from Andhra Pradesh.

Scrutiny of the papers will take place tomorrow and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 20. Polling, if necessary, will be held on March 27. The TDP official candidates who filed their papers today are industrialist P Prabhakar Reddy, TDP secretary C Ramachandriah, R Ramachandriah, Yedlapati Venkat Rao and Kala Venkat Rao. Of the six vacancies, TDP has decided to field five candidates leaving one to its ally CPI. An independent candidate and former MP T Venkatram Reddy would be contesting for the sixth seat with Congress support.

Renuka Choudhary was among the six members of the upper house, who retired this month with S Jaipal Reddy (Janata Dal), V Hanumantha Rao, G Prathap Reddy, A Sarvoraya Choudhry and V Rajeshwara Rao (all Congress).