Morale down: Will the TDP even contest the LS elections in Telangana?

Hyderabad, Mar 16: Telangana polls on April 11 and would send 17 MPs to the Lok Sabha. A close look at the mood in the state suggests that the TRS is still holding on the sentiment it had in the assembly elections and that may just translate into the Lok Sabha segment as well.

The question is who is the challenger for the TRS? The Congress is still reeling under the loss it was handed out in the assembly elections. Although in 2014, the Lok Sabha elections were held in a unified Andhra Pradesh, the Congress did not manage to put up a good performance in the Telangana segment.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TRS won 11 out of the 17 seats that fell under the Telangana segment. The BJP and AIMM won one seat each, while the Congress bagged just two. The TDP and YSR Congress party too bagged a seat each.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the TDP and Congress partnered together to take on the TRS, but the two parties were rejected by the voter. Following this result, the two parties decided not to contest the polls in an alliance in Andhra Pradesh.

The big question is will the TDP even fight the elections in Telangana or focus entirely on Andhra Pradesh, where it is in power. TDP leaders tell OneIndia that it would not skip the Telangana elections, but also added that candidates would not be fielded in every constituency. The leader also said that as per the current plan, they would focus just on 3 seats out of the 17 and in the remaining support the Congress from outside.

While a plan has been submitted to TDP chief, Chandrababu Naidu, no decision has been taken as yet. Naidu is facing a tough election in Andhra Pradesh. He is up against Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress party. Moreover the state is facing elections to both the assembly and Lok Sabha and hence Naidu has his hands tied.

The other issues that are daunting the TDP in Telangana is the lack of candidates. The enthusiasm among the cadres is down in the wake of the recent drubbing in the assembly elections. There are no TDP leaders with mass support and its partner Congress, which is also down is not exactly helping the cause. After the assembly results were out, many had said that it was the alliance which hurt the Congress more as the TDP is seen as an anti-Telangana party.

In the assembly elections, the TDP had secured just 2 seats. One of the two MLAs defaced to the TRS recently. In the 2014 elections, the TDP fought along side the BJP and its candidate Malla Reddy won the Malkajgiri seat. He however switched over to the TRS.