Chandrababu Naidu declares Krishnaiah as TDP`s CM candidate

Hyderabad: TDP on Wednesday announced backward caste leader R Krishnaiah as the party`s chief ministerial candidate for Telangana state.

Krishnaiah, who has headed the Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Welfare Association for several years, joined the TDP recently and is contesting the April 30 election from the L B Nagar assembly constituency in Telangana region. "A backward caste leader (Narendra Modi) is all set to become the Prime Minister of India. We have promised to make a backward caste leader the first chief minister of Telangana, and accordingly, I have chosen Krishnaiah as our candidate," TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu announced, addressing an election rally at Bellampalli in Adilabad district this afternoon. Krishnaiah had been striving for the upliftment and welfare of backward castes across the state, Naidu said, adding that he would be a fit candidate for the CM`s post. However, Naidu`s sudden announcement caught senior TDP leaders by surprise. "We never imagined this," a senior TDP leader from Telangana, who was being considered a prospective choice for the CM`s post if the TDP is voted to power, remarked. Ostensibly, Naidu made the announcement with a clear eye on backward caste votes, which account for about 50 per cent of the votes in Telangana region, TDP leaders said, though they are obviously sour that senior leaders who worked for the party for years have been overlooked.