TTDP leaders anger who were hoping to contest in Assembly polls

 Hopes of several ticket aspirants were dashed when TD national president N. Chandrababu Naidu decided to settle for 12 seats instead of 20 expected earlier. This has led to anger among several TD leaders who were hoping to contest in the ensuing Telangana state Assembly elections.“We are fighting elections in TS with other parties. Our common objective is to unseat the TRS government. Let us not insist on seats,” Mr Naidu said.

A senior party leader said that they were not after numbers but were keeping up with the Common Minimum Programme as it could appeal to TD’s traditional supporters including BCs.TD state president L. Ramana said that his party was not insisting on tickets for its aspirants and they will accept whatever the Prajakutami decides.

AICC secretary and Telangana state congress in-charge, R.C. Khuntia said there are at least 15 aspirants from each constituency.However, TD leaders aspiring for tickets became restless and held demonstrations in front of the party office on Tuesday. Satyanarayana, seeking a nomination from Kukatpally, staged a dharna demanding a ticket from the said constituency.

Earlier, on Sunday, an aspirant of Malkajgiri constituency, Mandali Radhakrishna Yadav, stormed TD headquarters along with his supporters and raised slogans demanding a ticket. Trying to pacify the angry aspirants, party leader Peddi Reddy said as we are part of  the Prajakutami, we can not promise tickets until seat sharing was finalised and appealed the partymen to maintain restraint.