VIJAYAWADA: Is the TDP planning to boycott the local body polls citing the alleged high-handedness of the ruling YSRC leaders? Is the statement given by TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday an indication for the same?
“Do you want me to contest the elections by filing petitions every minute? Don’t we have liberty to file nominations for local polls? I have never seen such a situation in my life. Why are you (YSRC) afraid of people’s mandate and resorting to such atrocities? I am asking the people with folded hands to think about it. I am fighting against a dictator. If you say no, I, too, will leave it,’’ Naidu said after the attack on the TDP leaders in Macherla of Guntur district.
Though the deadline for filing nominations for elections to 9,696 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and 652 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) ended on Wednesday, a section of the TDP leaders are of the view that it is better for the party top leadership to take a decision to boycott the local polls in protest against the high-handedness of the ruling party and lethargic attitude of the police. Some others, however, say that no such indications came from the party leadership, which put a up brave face stating that the party will improve its prospects in the local polls with the help of “silent revolt” by people against the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Blaming the YSRC leaders for attacking and blackmailing Opposition candidates, a senior TDP leader felt that the party cadre were not in a position to fight the muscle and money power of the YSRC.
“Local leaders of the party have no financial resources. For that we have to blame the previous TDP regime itself. After paying bills to big contractors, our government ignored the payments of bills for the works taken up under the Neeru-Chettu scheme. Majority of the works under the scheme were taken up by local TDP leaders. Because of the non-clearance of the bills, the local leaders have been weakened financially, with the YSRC government keeping all those bills pending. Contesting the elections will only cause further financial burden on the cadre,’’ a senior TDP leader told TNIE.
The Opposition leaders also say that the ruling YSRC leaders are warning the TDP local leaders that their bills will not be cleared if they contest the elections.Stating that the party is not in a position to provide funding to the contesting candidates, another TDP leader opined that the party would be weakened further in case of not winning considerable seats in the elections as it would hurt the morale of the cadre. The TDP leaders opine that the ruling party would definitely take advantage of the ordinance promulgated recently and will cause hardship to the opposition party leaders.
“As of now, the party is fighting against the relocation of the capital from Amaravati. What would be its fate if the YSRC wins the Guntur Zilla Parishad? Will it not send indications that people of Guntur district too are in favour of three capitals and also give enough ammo to the government to defend its decision?’’ the leader sought to know.
Recalling that the YSRC when in opposition had boycotted the Prakasam district local bodies constituency MLC poll in 2015 citing “unethical” practices by the then TDP government, another TDP leader said that there is nothing wrong in party boycotting the local polls.
However, stating that local polls are an opportunity for the emergence of leadership in village/mandal level, a senior leader felt that the elections will help the party cadre put up a brave face against the ruling party.
