Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists from several Assembly constituencies within GHMC limits and surrounding areas swarmed the residence of party president N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Thursday demanding him to not give seats to the BJP where the party has a strong base, as part of the alliance.
Led by the local leaders including ticket aspirants, the TDP activists staged a sit-in protest and raised slogans against giving important seats to the BJP. Some of them even shouted against the alliance with BJP stating that it would harm the party’s prospects when its chances of winning those seats were high.
Telugu Desam activists from Mahabubnagar constituency said the party was strong organisationally there and gained support after the 2012 by-election, which was won by a BJP candidate with a slender margin. “The BJP had won the election by fanning communal passions, but its support has diminished now and it is not in a position to retain the seat,” a party activist said adding that the TDP was sure to win it this time. Some partymen from Secunderabad constituency said that giving away the seat to BJP as part of the electoral tie-up would ultimately prove costly to the party as both the Congress and TRS were weak there and the BJP had no organisational strength. “Party will suffer losses if such seats are given away to alliance partners,” they said.
Partymen from L.B. Nagar and Maheshwaram constituencies led by former Hyderabad Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy and Krishna Prasad also arrived at Mr. Naidu’s residence. Mr. Krishna Reddy met Mr. Naidu and requested him to not give away the two seats to BJP.
“We welcome the tie-up with the BJP, but it should be given only those seats where it’s strong. Seats in which the TDP is formidable should not be given to BJP under any circumstances as they will ultimately mar the party’s prospects,” Mr. Krishna Reddy said.
Congress activists’ protestMeanwhile, a large number of Congress workers from Maheswasram protested against the reported decision of the party leadership to shift former Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy from Maheswaram constituency to Chevella Lok Sabha seat or Rajendranagar as part of electoral alliances with other political parties.
The party workers who thronged Ms. Sabitha Reddy’s residence from morning insisted that she should not opt for Lok Sabha but contest from Maheswaram again.
Ms. Sabitha pacified the party workers and said she would need a day to think about their suggestion. It may be mentioned that the former Home Minister sought a ticket also for her son Karthik Reddy. However, as part of policy decision to give one ticket to one family, the party high command suggested Ms. Sabitha to either choose Chevella Lok Sabha or Rajendranagar Assembly seat.
