With by-election to the Nandyal Assembly constituency becoming a prestige issue for the Telugu Desam Party, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu appointed Union Minister Y.S. Chowdary and Ministers P. Narayana and Kalava Srinivasulu as in-charges to work out a strategy that would ensure victory for the ruling party.
At the party’s coordination committee meeting held at his residence on Monday, Mr. Naidu called for a collective effort to defeat the YSR Congress (YSRC). He further said, “YSR Congress spoiled the tradition of making an election unanimous when a sitting MLA dies. It had been a practice to let the members of the bereaved families get elected without any contest but the YSRC did not consider it fit to follow that due to its penchant for power.”
While exhorting leaders to gear up for the by-election, Mr. Naidu asserted that the YSRC would not be able to show its impact in the constituency due to its weaknesses but the TDP’s rank and file should not be complacent.
They should educate the masses about the development and welfare schemes being implemented by the government while effectively countering the YSRC’s malicious propaganda, Mr. Naidu said while reiterating that allotment of tickets in the coming elections would purely depend on the MLAs’ performance.
‘Intintiki TDP’
A door-to-door campaign – ‘Intintiki TDP’ – would be organised across the State from September to take the party closer to people by showcasing the government’s achievements, the Chief Minister said.
At a separate meeting on Nandyal by-election later, Mr. Naidu enquired with Ministers Bhuma Akhila Priya, Kalava Srinivasulu and Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and MLA S.V. Mohan Reddy about the state of party affairs in the constituency and suggested that they should take the by-election seriously.
