HYDERABAD: The decision of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) not to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana has come as a shock to its cadre and leaders and has also raised questions about its future in the state.
The TDP, which had initially expressed its intention to participate in the elections, changed its stance following the arrest of its national president N Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the Skill Development Corporation scam. Naidu’s arrest has had a ripple effect on the party’s decision-making process.
What was surprising is that after a very successful public meeting in Khammam, Naidu had vowed to regain Telangana. The party’s decision on the Telangana elections led to the departure of the party’s state unit president Kasani Gnaneshwar.
Gnaneshwar had conducted meetings to reinvigorate the party and was quite optimistic about its future in Telangana.
Political watchers say that the reasons behind the TDP’s decision not to contest are many — some believe that it may be due to the party’s focus on addressing ongoing political cases in Andhra Pradesh and preparing its cadre for the General Elections in May 2024.
There are discussions within political circles about which party stands to gain from the TDP’s absence in the Telangana elections.
The Congress and BRS are expected to compete closely in many Assembly segments, with the grand old party possibly benefiting from the TDP’s vote bank. Factors such as the alleged vote-for-cash case, caste equations, leaders defecting to Congress, and the desire to avoid vote splitting due to anti-incumbency sentiment may all work in its favour. On the other hand, the BJP is also eyeing a portion of the TDP’s vote share, especially if the TDP decides to join the NDA. BJP leaders have launched an aggressive campaign to secure the TDP’s vote share, which could bolster the party’s presence in Telangana.
Tirunagari Jyothsna, the national spokesperson of the TDP, defended the party’s decision, attributing it to their strategic plans for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. She alleged that Gnaneshwar had not adequately prepared the party for the Assembly elections, and the decision was taken to ensure a better performance in the future.