TDP to boycott Banswada by-polls

The Telugu Desam Party Telangana Forum has decided to boycott the Banswada by-elections scheduled to be held on October 13.

The decision was taken in the Forum's meeting held at Telugu Desam Legislature Party office here on Monday. Briefing the media about the decision, Forum's convenor Errabelli Dayakar Rao said all TDP MLAs from Telangana region have unanimously decided to boycott the by-polls until the formation of Telangana State.

Errabelli said that the Forum has sent a letter to both the Congress and TRS requesting them to boycott the by-elections. However, both the parties have failed to respond. "Whoever wins the by-elections will have to again resign for the cause. Therefore, instead of contesting and resigning from the assembly membership, more pressure could be mounted on the Centre if all parties boycott the bye-elections," he said.

It may be mentioned that Banswada seat was won by the Telugu Desam Party in 2009 elections. However, its MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy resigned from the party and the post to join the TRS. His resignation has necessitated the by-elections for the seat. For by-elections, Pocharam is the TRS candidate while the Congress party has fielded Srinivas Goud as its candidate. Both of them have already filed their nomination papers.