TDP upset over BJP's weak candidates for AP state polls

Hyderabad,  Expressing displeasure over fielding of weak candidates by the BJP for the May state Assembly elections, TDP has said the move will only be detrimental to the alliance.

In a teleconference with his party leaders late last night, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu is said to have remarked that the candidates being fielded by the BJP for Assembly were not even capable of getting elected as a ward member. How will they win the Assembly seats?

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It will only be detrimental to our alliance, Chandrababu reportedly remarked. Chandrababu is said to have expressed his displeasure over the BJP's choice of candidates in constituencies like Ichchapuram, Rajahmundry (Urban), Kaikaluru and Guntakal that were allotted to the latter as part of the alliance.

The TDP supremo will hold another round of teleconference with his leaders to take a call on the electoral tie-up with the BJP in the wake of the growing unrest within his party, sources said. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, son of former Union Minister K Yerran Naidu, who is the TDP candidate from Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency, told Chandrababu that the BJP's nominee for Ichchapuram Assembly seat V Balakrishna stood no chance of winning. We are unnecessarily forgoing an Assembly seat which will have an impact on the parliamentary seat as well, Rammohan reportedly lamented. Similar is the case in Rajahmundry (Urban), where the TDP denied ticket to its senior leader Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary to accommodate the BJP.

BJP candidate A Satyanarayana, according to the TDP leaders, is considered hopeless. We will be giving the seat to the rivals (read YSR Congress) on a platter, Gorantla, as well as TDP's Rajahmundry Lok Sabha candidate M Murali Mohan reportedly told Chandrababu. In Kaikaluru, sitting TDP MLA Jayamangala Venkata Ramana was made to sacrifice his seat in favour of BJP. But the TDP cadre is said to be unhappy over the selection of K Srinivasa Rao by the BJP.

- PTI