TDP withdraws panchayat poll manifesto after SEC’s directive

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader and former MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar has said that the TDP was withdrawing its panchayat election manifesto, ‘Palle Pragathiki Pancha Sutralu’, in accordance with the instructions of the State Election Commission (SEC).

He, however, asserted that it was the right of a political party to declare its ‘people-friendly policies during the elections’. Many political parties had released their manifestos in Karnataka, Sikkim and other States. The TDP would explore all legal and other options available for it to protect this right. There should be a wider debate on this, he said.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Mr. Narendra Kumar said that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was afraid of the pro-people manifesto released by the TDP.

The ruling party leaders had no idea about such policies as they were busy with ‘anti-people activities’ all the time. It was still beyond anybody’s guess why exactly the YSRCP had complained to the SEC against the TDP manifesto. Just because the YCP had no manifesto of its own, it should not mean other parties should also not release it, he said, adding, “Only out of sheer fear of a positive feedback for the TDP manifesto, the ruling party had made the complaint.”