TDP not to contest Telangana elections

Amaravati: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday decided not to contest the Telangana Assembly elections scheduled next month. With the TDP supremo and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu still in jail in alleged skill development scam, the party decided to stay away from the contest.

Chandrababu Naidu conveyed the decision to TDP Telangana unit president Kasani Gnaneshwar when the latter called on him in Rajahmundry Central Jail on Saturday. The TDP national president told him that in view of the current situation in Andhra Pradesh, the party can’t focus on Telangana elections.

Naidu asked him to explain to the party leaders in Telangana the circumstances which forced the party to stay away from the polls. The former chief minister was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in a multi-crore skill development scam on September 9.