HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party today said it would contest the 12 Assembly seats in the Telangana region where by-elections are due shortly.
"The predominant opinion in our party is in favour of contesting the by-elections. I will hold further round of talks with the party’s lower rung leaders and take a final decision in the next few days," Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu told newsmen here today.
By-elections are likely to be held for the 12 Assembly seats in Telangana region next month as the process has to be completed before August.
The by-elections have been necessitated due to the resignation of ten Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLAs and one MLA each of TDP and BJP over the separate statehood issue. The TDP MLA Ch Ramesh, who resigned from his post, subsequently quit the party and joined the TRS.
Though there is a demand from pro-Telangana groups that all the candidates who resigned be elected unopposed, the Congress announced its intention to fight the by-elections.
In fact, a section of the Congress leaders from Telangana like CWC members G Venkata Swamy and K Keshava Rao are opposed to the party contesting the by-elections as it would be detrimental to the party’s interests.
But the party High Command brushed this opposition aside and decided to jump into the fray.
With the ruling party staying in contest, the principal opposition party does not want to be left behind. Accordingly, Chandrababu Naidu initiated consultation process with senior leaders of his party from the Telangana region. Barring one senior leader Kadiyam Srihari, others have favoured contesting the by-elections.
"Our senior leaders are strongly in favour of contesting the elections. We will consult the second rung leaders as well as the local party cadre before taking a final decision," Chandrababu said.(PTI)
