T Congress eyes TDP votebank, top netas meet yellow brigade

EFFORTS ON…

♦ N Uttam Kumar Reddy reaches out to the local TDP leadership

♦ TDP leadership agrees to support Uttam and his wife N Uttam Padmavati

♦ Cong paying attention on shifting the TDP vote bank to Cong

♦ TDP vote bank in 10 Assembly segments to decide the winning chances of political parties

♦ TDP local leaders being contacted by Cong contestants to seek their support

Hyderabad: As the TDP decided to stay away from contesting elections in the State, the Congress party was eyeing to shift the TDP voter base in support of the party in the upcoming Assembly polls. The Congress senior leaders and contestants were holding talks at the State and constituency level to convince the Telugu Desam leadership and extend support to the grand old party.

Former TPCC president and contestant from Huzurnagar Assembly segment N Uttam Kumar Reddy already reached out to the local TDP leadership and held political discussions at the Telugu Desam office recently. The TDP leadership agreed to support Uttam and his wife N Uttam Padmavati who was fighting from the Kodad Assembly segment. State-level Congress leaders already spoke to TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu and succeeded in keeping the Telugu Desam out of the contest. Now, the Congress leadership is paying special attention on shifting the TDP vote bank to Congress in the constituencies where the yellow party was still maintaining considerable vote bank and support.

Leaders said that the TDP vote bank in 10 Assembly segments in the Old Khammam district will decide the winning chances of the political parties. “Congress leaders are making every effort to consolidate the TDP support in favour of Congress candidates in all the segments. Old Nalgonda district was also a stronghold of TDP in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. The TDP local leaders and sympathisers are being contacted by the Congress contestants to seek their support in the crucial polls.

Sources said that the TPCC leadership will also meet a few former TDP leaders in the Assembly segments and hold a meeting with local Congress leaders ensuring the TDP voters cast their vote in support of Congress candidates “lock stock and barrel” in the polls.

Leaders said that Congress devised a strategy to avoid an impression that they are seeking Andhra-owned TDP support as it can create new trouble for the Andhra and Telangana divide at the ground level which will ultimately help the BRS to win the election on Telangana sentiment.