Hyderabad: Elated over Telugu Desam Party’s spectacular show in the elections to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the 2019 Assembly elections would be a “one-sided affair”.
TDP won three seats today from the Local Authorities Constituencies by beating the YSR Congress. In all, the ruling party won nine MLC seats from the LACs, six of them unopposed.
“What people want is welfare, development and happiness.
When we are giving them all this, why will they look at any other party? So the 2019 election will be a one-sided affair,” Chandrababu said, talking to reporters in the Assembly lobby.
As to the YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s challenge that the TDP seek a fresh mandate by making the 20 MLAs who switched sides to join the ruling party to resign, Chandrababu threw him a counter-challenge.
“Let him ask his MLAs to quit and go for by-elections. We will see what happens then,” Chandrababu asked.
On Jagan’s other challenge that the Chief Minister face the next election from Kadapa, Chandrababu said TDP’s next target was indeed Pulivendula, pocket-borough of Jagan’s family. Jagan currently represents it.
“In 2019, Pulivendula will be the TDP’s,” he said.
On the YSRC chief’s allegation that the TDP purchased voters to win the MLC election in Kadapa, the Chief Minister said everybody knew who had the money.
—PTI