TDP not to contest Lok Sabha Elections in Telangana

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided not to contest Lok Sabha elections 2019 in Telangana, party sources said on Sunday. According to reports, the TDP's Telangana unit has decided not to field candidates for next month's elections as several top leaders have defected to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and remaining leaders are not keen to contest the polls.

Monday is the last day for filing of nominations for the elections scheduled on April 11. This will be the first time when the party will not contest the direct election if the party announce the same. Reports suggest that an official announcement in this regard is expected on Monday.

The TDP, which contested the recent Assembly elections in alliance with Congress, may announce support to Congress in all 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana, reports IANS.

The ruling party of Andhra Pradesh, TDP, had contested Telangana Assembly polls as part of the four-party 'People's Alliance' led by the Congress. It secured 21 seats in 119-member state Assembly. They included two of TDP and one of them has crossed over to the TRS.

The development comes two days after former MP Nama Nageswara Rao, who quit the TDP this week, joined the ruling TRS in Telangana on Thursday.

Nageswara Rao, who was Lok Sabha member from Khammam in Telangana, had sent a letter to Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, claiming that the survival of TDP in Telangana has become a question in spite of his best efforts.