Hyderabad, Mar 30 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced that Dr Panugothu Ravi Kumar will be its candidate for the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly by-election in Telangana.

Kumar, who belongs to the scheduled castes, is an Assistant Civil Surgeon running a hospital in Nagarjuna Sagar.

The party's central leadership named Kumar as the candidate, ignoring other contenders including K. Niveditha Reddy, who last week filed her nomination without waiting for the official announcement of the candidate by the party.

Niveditha Reddy, who had unsuccessfully contested for the same seat in 2018, filed her nomination on Friday and was hoping that the party leadership will clear her candidature.

It was immediately not clear if she will withdraw from the contest or contest as a rebel. The leadership also ignored another aspirant K. Anjaiah Yadav.

The by-election is scheduled to be held on April 17. Tuesday is the last day for filing of nominations.

The vacancy was caused by the death of sitting legislator Nomula Narsimhaiah of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Earlier in the day, the TRS announced Narsimhaiah's son Bagath Kumar as its candidate. The BJP has been waiting for the TRS to declare its candidate.

The Congress party has already announced the candidature of veteran leader and former minister K. Jana Reddy.

In 2018, Nomula Narsimhaiah had defeated his nearest rival Jana Reddy of Congress by a margin of 7,771 votes. While Narsimhaiah polled 83,655 votes, Jana Reddy secured 75,884 votes. Niveditha Reddy of BJP could get only 2,675 votes.