Telangana TDP president resigns as TDP backs out of polls

HYDERABAD: A day after Telangana Telugu Desam Party (TTDP) decided not to contest Assembly elections in the State, its State President Kasani Gnaneshwar has resigned from his post and the party.

TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu is currently lodged in jail for alleged irregularities in the skill development scam. Naidu had himself informed the decision to not contest the polls slated for November 30 in Telangana to TTDP president Kasani Gnaneshwar who called on his party chief in Rajahmundry Central Jail last Saturday.

Due to the present situation in Andhra Pradesh, the party would not be able to concentrate on Telangana elections, Naidu had informed Gnaneshwar.

Condemning the decision, Gnaneshwar wanted the party to explain why it was opting out of the contest.

"How would the party leadership explain why it had opted out of contest to the workers who had been serving for more than five years," he asked.

"I called Lokesh (TDP general secretary) at least 20 times but he did not respond. Why can't a national party like TDP cannot contest polls. Atleast the TDP could have contested in Jubilee Hills or Kukatpally constituency?" Gnaneshwar lamented.

The TTDP was hoping to contest and make its presence felt in a few seats in Hyderabad apart from some pockets in the rural areas where the TDP could prove its worth. Its biggest hope was in the Andhra Pradesh border Khammam, where it won two seats in the previous elections.

Kasani Gnaneswar too was confident of TTDP contesting in the Telangana Assembly elections who announced earlier that the party would contest in few seats where it was strong. The decision of the TDP is being seen as a move to aid its 'favourite child' and current Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Revanth Reddy.

It is being alleged that the reason for the TDP for staying away from the Telangana elections was to help its 'export' and former party firebrand Revanth Reddy, the current TPCC president. In fact, Gnaneshwar openly stated in his press conference that a "Section of Chowdaries proposed that we should support the Congress."

There is some motive behind this gamble. The politically and financially strong Kamma community in Telangana is peeved with the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) for its response over Naidu’s arrest and with the TDP staying away, it would ensure additional votes for the grand old party.

Initially, BRS working president and Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao had opposed any kind of protests at Hitec City favouring Chandrababu Naidu, citing law and order problems. This angered the TDP supporters. However, KTR later added that could instead protest at the Dharna Chowk and not in the Hitec City area as it shouldn't disturb other citizens.

The other prominent reason that is being floated in the political circiles is that with the TDP staying away from the contest, it could indirectly benefit Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP) and the BJP too. JSP is expected to contest about 10-12 seats in alliance with the BJP, and its president Pawan Kalyan would look to corner the OBC seats. With the Congress and the BRS offering many seats to Reddy's, Pawan, a Munnuru Kapu, could use his influential backward class sect to his advantage.

The TDP stepping back could also be a goodwill gesture to the BJP as it seeks to get back into the NDA. The decision to back off from Telangana comes within two weeks of Nara Lokesh meeting Home Minister Amit Shah.

Whatever the reason, the TDP is now a non-player in Telangana, atleast for the 2023 Assembly elections.