Days after announcing its first list, the Telugu Desam Party released its second list of 34 candidates on Thursday, for the forthcoming assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh. Taking to X, Chandrababu Naidu wrote, “The first list of candidates contesting on behalf of the Telugu Desam Party in the upcoming 2024 elections has already been placed before the public. Now we have brought you the second list, with 34 more candidates.”
He added, “As always in the selection of candidates, public opinion has been given priority in this list as well. I request the people of the state to bless all the TDP candidates and make them win.” On Monday, the Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Janasena Party togetherly sealed a seat-sharing pact in the state, in the run-up to the elections for AP assembly and Lok Sabha.
Pertaining to the pact, the BJP will contest from 6 seats, the TDP from 17 seats and the JSP from 2 seats for the Parliamentary elections.The BJP will contest from 10 seats, TDP from 144 seats and the JSP from 21 seats in the assembly elections.
After the meeting between the 3 parties in Delhi, the seat-sharing was confirmed at a meeting held at Amaravati today. Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats. In the context of merging with the BJP, Naidu was criticized by his rivals. He had ruled out of the National Democratic Alliance in 2018 post the Centre’s refusal to sanction Special Category Status to the state.
Also, the President of APCC, YS Sharmila demanded that CBN should elucidate to the state’s people why he chose to merge with the BJP, which had denounced the people in all aspects for a decade.