Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Andhra Pradesh unit president K. Atchannaidu has said that the party remains committed to the tradition of not fielding a candidate against the family members of deceased MLAs and MPs in byelections.
“The TDP will not field its candidate for the byelection to Atmakur Assembly constituency in Nellore district as Mekapati Vikram Reddy, a family member of late MLA and former Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy, is contesting on the YSRCP ticket. Had there been no family members of the deceased MLA in the fray, the TDP would have certainly contested the bypoll,” said Mr. Atchnnaidu, in a statement, on Monday.
He pointed out that the TDP had not fielded its candidate in Nandyal Lok Sabha bypoll to pave the way for Telugu leader P.V. Narasimha Rao to become the Prime Minister. “The same tradition was followed when Y.S. Vijayalakshmi contested the Pulivendula bypoll in 2009 after the demise of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Devarakonda Congress MLA Dheeravat Ragya Naik died in Nalgonda district of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1999 and the TDP had not field its candidate even as it was in power. At that time, Ragya Naik’s wife Bharathi Naik contested the bypoll,” said Mr. Atchannaidu.
The TDP leader recalled that the TDP had fielded its candidate in Tirupati bypoll as the YSRCP fielded a candidate other than the family members of the deceased MP B. Durga Prasad.
