VISAKHAPATNAM: We can term it an irony. The TDP managed to secure 23 MLA seats, exactly the number of the MLAs it had “poached” from the YSRC in the last Assembly and now the leadership is wondering whether they can keep its flock together for the coming five years or not.
As it is the worst poll debacle for the party since its formation in 1982, the party leadership is worrying about the future of the party as they sense dissent within the party at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre and the YSRC in the State as well as the TRS government in the neighbouring Telangana.
Before the elections, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu had alleged that some of his party leaders were not ready to contest the elections, succumbing to the pressures and threats from the YSRC and TRS.
The argument of Naidu at that time was that those have assets in Hyderabad were threatened by the TRS and YSRC and the BJP frightened some leaders in the name of IT and ED raids.
And now, as the TDP is not in power in the State, keeping all the elected MLAs in the party has become a Herculean task for the party as it smells troubles from different directions, a TDP leader said, adding that they will have to analyse the factors that led to party’s poll debacle.
“Leaders (both winners and losers in elections) started meeting the party chief and explaining what the factors that led to its poll debacle. The exercise will continue for some more days. We will have to chalk out the future course of action,’’ the TDP leader told TNIE.
Meanwhile, Naidu confined to his residence on Friday and interacted with the some elected MLAs and other leaders of the party. Film star Balakrishna, who won as MLA from Hindupur constituency for the second time, called on Naidu.