TDP chief’s meet on MLC candidates remain inconclusive

The Telugu Desam Party is likely to finalise its candidates for the four seats going to polls under the local authority constituencies of the Legislative Council on Sunday.

The meetings convened by TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, with senior leaders from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Guntur and Krishna districts, on Saturday remained inconclusive as the party could not arrive at a consensus on its candidates. The name of Gitam University president M.V.V.S. Murthi for the second vacancy in Visakhapatnam reportedly figured among the probables, according to sources. But, no official announcement has been made in this regard.

Party leaders from Guntur are understood to have insisted that the leadership select a candidate for the second vacancy in the district. Mr. Naidu, it is learnt, was against fielding a second candidate in the district going by the party’s strength in the district. Though the TDP had considerable support in Guntur, the party was confident of easily winning one seat, while it would face a tough contest from the main Opposition YSR Congress for the second seat.

Given this background, Mr. Naidu is understood to be not so keen on putting up a contest for the second seat as it could lead to some unhealthy competition.

But, party leaders are said to have impressed upon Mr. Naidu the need to field a candidate as the YSRC had announced the candidature of senior leader Ummareddy Venkateswarlu.

The party leadership could not arrive at a consensus on its choice for the second seat in Krishna district where the names of B. Venkanna and B. Arjunudu are doing rounds. Mr. Naidu, according to sources, had decided to continue the exercise on Sunday too.

TDP is likely to finalise candidates

for the MLC seats

on Sunday