AP: TDP might abstain from presidential vote

ToTrue

Editor

posted on 12 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

51
views

Viewing the election from the Telangana angle, TDP Telangana Forum leaders strongly oppose Pranab's candidature.

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam leadership seems to be toying with the idea of abstaining from voting in the presidential election on July 19. The party has 11 MPs and 85 MLAs in the electoral college which consists of the elected members of the two Houses of Parliament, and the Assemblies of states and Union Territories. UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee and PA Sangma who is backed by the BJP, BJD and AIDMK have sought TDP's support but the main opposition party in the state has not given any assurance to them.

Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu has said repeatedly that his party Politburo will take a decision after due consolations within the party. Earlier, he had ruled out abstaining from voting, saying that his party, being a responsible political party, could not do it. The TDP leadership understands that its main opponent, YSR Congress Party, is likely to support Pranab Mukehrjee. Congress MP from Anakapalle Sabbam Hari, a strong supporter of Jagan, met Mukherjee and minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office V.Narayanaswami in Delhi on Friday.

The meeting gave rise to the speculation that the YSRCP would support Pranab. The TDP is of the view that the YSRCP is unable to take any harsh decision as it realises that the Congress government in the state will remain in power till 2014. As such, it thinks it is prudent to support Paranab. TDP leaders recall Jagan's past statement that his party was ready to support the UPA after the next general election. Keeping this background in mind, TDP leaders think that it is not the right strategy to support pranab.

Viewing the election from the Telangana angle, TDP Telangana Forum leaders strongly oppose Pranab's candidature. They feel that Pranab is the stumbling block to Telangana state and if the party supports him in the presidential election that may impact the party badly in the region.

As for leaders of the party from Andhra and Rayalaseema, they say that if the TDP follows the YSRCP in voting for Pranab, it might lead to more desertions from the party. Considering all these factors, the TDP leadership seems to have decided to abstain from voting in a change of stance.