Party spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari, however, said the TDP would resume its political innings by contesting the local body polls.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. (X)
TDP has decided not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, and the beleaguered party is yet to take a call on whom to support in the state, though it is part of the NDA in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, a senior leader of the party said.
Party spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari, however, said the TDP would resume its political innings by contesting the local body polls, expected to be held in June or July this year.
“Though we are part of the NDA, we are not contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana. The decision on whom to support in the upcoming polls in Telangana will be taken by the party’s senior leadership. As of now, there is no instruction on that,” she told PTI.
The political journey of the TDP has been passing through rough weather for the past few years, and the situation worsened after TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police in a graft case.
Following his arrest, the party decided not to contest the Assembly polls in Telangana held on 30 November last year, prompting its state president, Ksanai Gnaneswar, to desert TDP and join former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS before the polls.
Since then, the party in Telangana has become headless and has been fraught with the desertions of several leaders and cadres. The TDP, which managed to win two seats in the 2018 Assembly polls in Telangana, polled 3.51 percent of votes. It had a pre-poll pact with Congress and the CPI then.
As the TDP did not contest the polls last year, other parties wooed its leaders and pocketed its vote pie in the Assembly polls.
Replying to a query, Tirunagari said there were no official instructions on whom to support in the 2023 Assembly polls in Telangana. The choice of support was left to the local leadership, and they took decisions as per the prevailing conditions in their respective constituencies.
“Appointing a president to the Telangana unit of the party will be decided in Mahanadu (the TDP’s annual conclave),” the TDP leader said.
Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha seats and the state goes to polls on 13 May. The counting of votes will be taken up on 4 June.
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