VIJAYAWADA: A section of the party leaders have expressed dissatisfaction over the decision of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to boycott the MPTC/ZPTCs election and a few candidates are taking part in the election campaign, disobeying the directions of the party chief. However, senior party leaders say that majority of the party leaders and cadre are happy with Naidu’s decision to boycott the remaining local polls.
“Going by the unanimous elections in ZPTCs, the TDP is not in a position to win even a single Zilla Parishad chairperson post. Secondly, we are not confident of free and fair elections under the present State Election Commissioner (SEC), Nilam Sawhney. We cannot forget the fact that all the unanimous elections took place when Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, who was portrayed as a supporter of the TDP, was the SEC. Against such a backdrop, the decision of Naidu will at least reduce the financial burden on the local party leaders.
Financial resources of our leaders were hit badly in the panchayat and municipal elections and forcing the local party leaders to stay in the MPTC/ZPTC elections will only result in more financial burden on them without much benefit,’’ a senior TDP leader reasoned. The party leaders and cadre from South Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions are welcoming Naidu’s call to boycott the election, he said. However, in North Coastal Andhra and twin Godavari districts, a few leaders were taking the ZPT, MPTC elections prestigious.
“We have no intention to disobey the directions of the party chief. But, there is no option for withdrawal of nominations at this juncture and after pressure from our activists, we were forced to remain in the poll fray. As we did not get any campaign materials from the party, we are procuring it on our own and campaigning without the photos of Naidu, Lokesh or the local constituency in-charges of the party. Except the bicycle symbol, we are not carrying any other campaign material,’’ said an MPTC contestant from Amadalavalasa of Srikakulam district.
However, TDP State president K Atchannaidu asserted that one and all in the party should obey the directions of the party chief. Of course, the decision of the party may hurt some leaders, but the instructions of the party supremo is final, he said.Another senior leader Payyavula Kesav said that the party took the decision to attract the attention of the entire nation towards the “undemocratic’ poll practices in AP.Meanwhile, desertions from the TDP continued. Some party leaders, who filed their nominations in Krishna and Guntur, have joined the YSRC.