CPI (M) to field candidate for Palair bypoll

The CPI(M) today decided to field its candidate for the Palair Assembly byelection in Telangana, scheduled for May 16. CPI (M) state secretary T Veerbhadram said the party had decided to field its candidate as the efforts by Congress to avoid a contest were not succeeding. Sudarshan Rao will be the CPI (M) nominee. The poll is necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress MLA R Venkata Reddy. Congress had appealed other parties to let his wife, Sucharita Reddy, get elected unopposed. TDP and YSRCP agreed not to put up candidates. But the ruling TRS, however, announced the candidature of Roads and Buildings Minister T Nageswara Rao. Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president K Laxman said today his party was discussing whether to contest the byelection. His party is opposed to both Congress as well as TRS, he said.