With Naidu in jail, TDP not to contest Telangana elections

Amaravati: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday decided not to contest the Telangana Assembly elections scheduled next month.

With the TDP supremo and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu still in jail in alleged skill development scam, the party decided to stay away from the contest.

Chandrababu Naidu conveyed the decision to TDP Telangana unit president Kasani Gnaneshwar when the latter called on him in Rajahmundry Central Jail on Saturday. The TDP national president told him that in view of the current situation in Andhra Pradesh, the party can’t focus on Telangana elections.

Naidu asked him to explain to the party leaders in Telangana the circumstances which forced the party to stay away from the polls.

The former chief minister was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in a multi-crore skill development scam on September 9. He remained in judicial custody since then and the CID is also probing his alleged involvement in two other cases.

Naidu’s family and the TDP are currently busy with the legal battle in various courts.

TDP MLA and actor N. Balakrishna had held a meeting with TDP leaders in Hyderabad recently and had asked them to gear up for the polls. Balakrishna, who is brother-in-law of Naidu, had stated that TDP will contest the elections in Telangana with full force.

Kasani Gnaneswar had also said earlier that the TDP will contest a limited number of seats in Telangana.

Chandarbabu Naidu had addressed a public meeting in Khammam in December last year. He had expressed confidence that the party will regain glory in Telangana.

This was the first TDP meeting in Telangana since crushing defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections.

The TDP had contested in the 2018 elections in Telangana in alliance with the Congress. The party could win just two seats and both the MLAs later defected to ruling TRS (now BRS).