TDP opposes simultaneous polls, terms BJP as 'political shark prying on smaller fish'

In a volte-face, the TDP on Friday opposed the idea of holding simultaneous polls to Parliament and state assemblies, saying the move was only to weaken regional parties.

Terming it as a gameplan of national parties to decimate the regional parties, the TDP claimed that it was opposing simultaneous elections to safeguard the "federal system."

"The BJP has turned into a political shark. It's trying to live by prying on smaller fish," TDP politburo member and Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said in a statement.

The TDP was the first to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of simultaneous polls when it was a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, but it snapped ties in March this year over the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The country's people were watching how BJP was treating AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar and the TDP, the minister said.

"... No national party is in a position to form the government at the Centre on its own and they have to necessarily rely on the support of regional parties.

But the move to hold simultaneous elections is only to weaken the regional leaders," the TDP veteran said.

He said regional parties were not supporting the idea to save democracy and the federal system.

Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu had said on February 1, 2017 that simultaneous polls should be held from the village panchayat level to Parliament.

"We can then focus on development for five years without worrying aboutelections," he had said.

The partys view was also articulated in Governor E S L Narasimhan's address to the state legislature on March 6, 2017.