EC serves notice on TDP

HYDERABAD: For the first time in its 30-year history, Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) tasted the wrath of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The EC recently served a notice on the TDP seeking to know why the party’s recognition should not be cancelled. EC served the notice on TDP for its failure in constituting state committees in the last one year and for its failure to hold executive committee meetings.However, the TDP gave an explanation to the EC that the old committees would continue. It may be recalled that the TDP’s new committees were constituted after 2009 Mahanadu. Later, in 2010 party president N Chandrababu Naidu scrapped all the committees but failed to reconstitute new committees due to various reasons. Later he said the old committees would continue. Last month, ECI served a notice on the TDP in this regard. “Old committees will stand good. Party has already sent its reply to the ECI,” party politburo member K Yerran Naidu told Express.Meanwhile, TDP office secretary TD Janardhan told reporters that they had sent a list on May 14 and also received acknowledgement from ECI on May 16.Though, Naidu did some exercise last year to appoint new committees, he deferred due to volatile political situation. In the height of T movement, Naidu was under pressure to take more T-leaders. Finally, the party had decided to continue the old committees. Interestingly, in the list sent to the Election Commission on March 3, 2009, the TDP stated cine actors Balakrishna, NTR Jr and N Kalyanram as its leaders.