TDP not to contest LS polls in Telangana

The Telugu Desam Party has decided not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Telangana, and the beleaguered party here 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.
TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari, however, said the TDP will 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 said.
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 November 30 last year, prompting its State president, Ksanai Gnaneswar, to desert the TDP and join former Chief Minister K Chandrasekahr Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (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 per cent of votes. It had a pre-poll pact with Congress and the CPI then.
“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 May 13. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.