TD to skip Rajya Sabha elections, Naidu says YSRC seniors ready to join TD

VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu said the TD has no intention of contesting the Rajya Sabha elections. Naidu had a meeting with several leaders at his residence in Undavalli on Raa Kadali Raa and Nara Lokesh’s Sankharavam.

Yanamala Ramakrishna, Nimmala Ramanaidu, Angani Satyaprasad, Gottipati Ravi Kumar and Kambhampati Rammohan Rao participated in the meeting.

The TD chief made sensational comments that some top leaders of the YSRC were in touch with his party’s leadership, but all who came from the YSRC to join the TD may not be welcomed.

At the meeting, senior TD leaders sought clarification on the party fielding a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. Naidu said TD is not contesting the present RS polls.

Naidu said he is keen that leaders who have worked hard for the TD should not be harmed by poll alliances with other parties. “It is our responsibility to ensure that their future is not hurt and we will give high priority to them.”

Rumours surfaced that a TD candidate in the RS polls would get support from the sulking YSRC MLAs who were denied party tickets for the 2024 elections. But, Naidu took the decision to skip the RS election altogether. This would mean that the TD will not have any presence in the upper house of Parliament for some time now.

This is the first time in 41 years after coming to power in 1983 that the Telugu Desam faces such an embarrassment.

The term of Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar ends on April 2 and elections will be held for the vacant seat. TD has no chance of winning this seat.