Telangana Chief Minister and President of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K Chandrashekar Rao sounded the poll bugle by announcing a near full list of 119 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls.

The BRS has retained almost all of the 88 MLAs that won the election and the other MLAs that it absorbed from Congress soon after the 2018 elections. It changed the candidates only in seven seats while withholding the decision with regard to four remaining seats.

The present term of the Assembly would end in December second week. Speculation is ripe that the BRS President might go for polls a few weeks earlier so that he would have ample time to plan the national foray of the BRS.

“We are not in a hurry (with regard to our national plans). We will go national in phases. Several countries younger and smaller than us made good strides, while we lag on several fronts,” he said.

The Chief Minister has said that he will contest from two seats (Gajwel and Kamareddy) this time. Releasing the list at the party’s headquarters here on Monday, Chandrashekar Rao said that the State had performed well under its rule in the last two terms.

“I know that we are going to come back again in the State. I appeal to you to give us all the 17 Parliament seats to help us become a major force at the national level,” he said.

Stating that Telangana had emerged as a top performer in terms of per capital income, KCR said BRS government turned around the fortunes of power sector from a power deficit State to a State that can provide 24-hour power supply.