Telangana Election 2023: Protest Erupts After TDP Opts Out Of Assembly Polls

The Telugu Desam Party has decided not to contest the upcoming  Telangana Assembly polls, causing a stir within the state unit of the party. It will be the first time the TDP, which managed to win only two seats in the 2018 polls, chose not to contest the Assembly election after the formation of Telangana in 2014.

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

The decision was conveyed to TDP Telangana unit president Kasani Gnaneshwar by party chief Chandrababu Naidu himself when the former called on him in Rajahmundry Central Jail on Saturday. Naidu asked him to explain to the party leaders in Telangana the circumstances which forced the party to stay away from the polls.

However, a high drama was witnessed at the TTDP office at NTR Trust Bhavan in Hyderabad on Sunday after Gnaneshwar conveyed the party decision to the workers.

A few leaders even staged a protest against the party’s decision at the TTDP office, as per media reports.

Circumstances Leading To TDP Pulling Out Of Election

Naidu’s family and the TDP are currently busy with the legal battle in various courts following his arrest in alleged skill development scam.

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.

TDP’s Move Unexpected

The TDP had contested in the 2018 elections in Telangana in alliance with the Congress, again had a pre-poll pact with the Congress and the CPI. The party polled 3.51 per cent of votes in the last Assembly elections.

Earlier, 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.