TDP to field candidates in LS, Assembly polls 2019

Bhubaneswar, Dec 8: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided to contest the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in Odisha during the 2019 General Elections.

          The TDP intends to field as many as 52 candidates in Assembly and five in Lok Sabha elections; it’s Odisha in-charge Rajesh Putra has said.

          Putra said the TDP would like to focus in the southern region of the state where Telugu language is being spoken by the people such as  Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam and Nabarangpur.

          Putra asserted that the Telugu Desam Party has a stronghold in these districts.

          The TDP candidates are likely to contest from Koraput, Nabarangpur, Berhampur and Aska constituencies, he said, adding that another parliamentary constituency will be decided later.

          He said the list of candidates will soon be announced by party supremo Chandrababu Naidu after the primary survey in this regard underway is completed in 52 Assembly constituencies of the state.

          The party will apprise the voters of Odisha about the developmental activities in Andhra Pradesh, he added.

          The people of Odisha want development in their state for which the TDP will contest in the upcoming Assembly polls, he said.

          While senior BJD leader and Minister S N Patro said participation of the TDP in the Odisha Assembly polls will have no impact, Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said that TDP candidates will eat into the BJD votes and benefit Congress.

          On the other hand, BJP leader Bhrugu Buxipatra said TDP participation will have no impact on the Odisha politics.

          Notably, the All India Trinamul Congress (TMC) led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already announced that the party will participate in the Odisha elections.

          The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), led by Shibu Soren, is already a force in Mayurbhanj district in the northern region.