After the Telangana polls are over, the Telugu Desam Party is now busy with making plans for the 2019 general elections when AP Assembly polls will also be held. Next year’s election is to be held in May but this may be advanced by a month or two depending on the decision of the Modi government.

Considering the latest political situation, TDP President and AP CM Chandrababu Naidu has asked the party leaders to be prepared for even advance polls for which the candidates’ selection has assumed utmost importance right now. Naidu has already done some exercise on the assembly segments won by the opposition parties and he has developed party organisation there by giving powers to incharges.

TDP circles are speculating that most of these incharges will stand a chance to get the ticket unless there will be clearly better alternatives that may emerge at the last minute at the time of elections. Naidu has been holding inside meetings with the party leaders on the issue of preparations and making plans for 2019 elections.

The TDP will be under immense pressure politically this time as its enemies have grown in number. Because of TDP’s alliance with the Congress and Naidu’s election campaign in Telangana, Telangana CM Chandrasekhara Rao has become its sworn enemy now. As it is ruling party in neighbouring state, TRS is expected to give considerable support to Jaganmohan Reddy and even Pawan Kalyan to counter TDP. Naidu is obviously preparing to take on all these challenges.

G.Ravikiran