The National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is discussing Tuesday behind closed doors their ballots for the snap May 12 general election.

According to leaked information, two of the infamous party functionaries, former Energy Minister, Rumen Ovcharov, and former Interior Minister, Rumen Petkov, who have become entangled in a number of scandals over the years, would not run this time around.

Petkov is going to be replaced by beloved Bulgarian actor and former BSP Culture Minister, Stefan Danailov, who will lead the ballots in Pleven and Plovdiv.

In recent days, Rumen Petkov accused publically the party leadership, headed by former Prime Minister, Bulgarian and European Socialist leader, Sergey Stanishev, of failure in arranging party lists.

However, Danailov said Monday before the start of the sitting that Petkov had withdrawn on his own and had nominated the actor to replace him.

He admitted of thinking of declining, but finally decided not only to run, but to accept both nominations for his party's sake.

Meanwhile, a "clash of the Titans" has emerged in the 25th voting district in the capital Sofia where there will be a faceoff between 3 former PMs – Stanishev, the leader of the center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, Boyko Borisov, and right-wing leader, Ivan Kostov.

Former Finance Minister, Plamen Oresharski, will, reportedly lead the BSP ballot in Varna.

Several emblematic BSP functionaries have also announced they would not run again such as the former Speaker of the Parliament, Georgi Pirinski, and another former Energy Minister, Petar Dimitrov.

The full lists of the Socialists are expected to be revealed a week from now.

Bulgaria is to hold early elections on May 12, following the February resignation of Borisov.

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