BSR Congress to contest 5 Lok Sabha seats

BELLARY: Ruling out merger or alliance with BJP, BSR Congress leader B Sriramulu today said it would contest five Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Sriramulu, who walked out of BJP and formed his own outfit and was once a close aide of mining baron Janardhana Reddy, said none from the BJP had approached him for merger or alliance, though that party had "affection" for him.

Speaking to reporters here, he said BSR Congress would contest from Bellary, Raichur, Koppal, Chitradurga and Haveri. The candidates would be finalised within a week, he said.

He also ruled out his party's merger with Congress. Sriramulu, whose party had won four seats in the May Assembly polls, had quit BJP in November 2011.