Kadapa: The Telugu Desam (TD) announced that it would not contest the Badvel byelection in Kadapa district. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party's politburo chaired by party national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu and was disclosed by party state president K. Atchannaidu in an official statement.
According to the politburo, the TDP established a tradition in Andhra Pradesh after giving tickets to the family members of deceased MLAs, that it should be elected unanimously. The party politburo, which met at the TD headquarters in Amravati on Sunday, discussed the Badvel byelection. The YSR Congress has already finalised the name of former MLA late Dr Gunthoti Venkata Subbayya’s wife Dr Sudha as its candidate from Badvel. She is already campaigning. Though the TDP announced Dr. Obulapuram Rajasekhar, who contested in the last elections, was its candidate, it decided to quit the contest now.
Jana Sena party chief Pawan Kalyan made it clear in Anantapur on Saturday that they would give value to tradition and decided not to contest the Badvel by-election. He said they were in support of Dr Sudha, who had already been announced by the ruling YSR Congress.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a dilemma when the Jana Sena party leader who allied with them announced so. BJP state president Somu Veeraraju, who met party leaders and activists in Kadapa on Sunday, told the media after the meeting that his party was ready to contest in Badvel.
He said they had already prepared a roadmap. Eight candidates applied for tickets and they had finalised and sent a list of three names to the party's central committee, he said, adding that the BJP was strongly opposed to family rule. The views of their party leaders and activists were also conveyed to its Central leadership, which said they would take appropriate decisions. Their decision is likely to be known in a day or two. All in all, the Badvel by-election continues to be unanimous. Last date to file nominations for the by-election is October 8. The Election Commission already announced that polling would be held on October 30 and the results would be declared on November 2.
