india

Updated: Jun 18, 2019 20:53 IST

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu will not attend the all-party meeting called by PM Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the one nation-one election issue.

However, YSR Congress party president and newly elected Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to attend the meeting. He will be leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday morning.

KCR, who conveniently skipped the Niti Aayog governing council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, has decided to stay away from the all-party meeting as well. Instead, he has decided to send his son and Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president K T Rama Rao to the all-party meeting.

“KTR will be attending the meeting on behalf of the party to present our stand on the subject,” senior TRS leader and former MP B Vinod said.

Asked what the party’s stand would be on the one-nation-one-election concept, Vinod said the party president would give a direction in this regard to the working president who would be attending the meeting. He, however, said the TRS had earlier written to the Law Commission of India supporting holding of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.

“The party was of the view that simultaneous polls would reduce the financial burden on the government, besides avoiding the problem of stalling development and welfare activities for a long time due to enforcement of the model code of conduct. If there is any change in the party’s stand, it will be disclosed at the all-party meeting,” Vinod said.

A TRS leader familiar with the development said KCR was not in a position to attend the Delhi meeting, as he had called for a meeting of the party’s executive committee in Hyderabad to discuss various issues including the party’s performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, conduct of TRS plenary and other issues.

Meanwhile, the TDP president has decided not to send his parliamentary party leader to the all-party meeting. He will convey his party stand through a letter. “On Wednesday, Naidu is scheduled to go on a short vacation abroad along with his family members for a week. Hence, he is not in a position to attend the all-party meeting. He will back in Amaravati on June 25,” a TDP leader, who refused to be quoted, said.