TDP to stay away from RS polls to fill three vacancies from

The TDP's Telangana unit today said it would stay away from the Rajya Sabha polls on March 23 to fill three vacancies from the state.

TDP Telangana unit president L Ramana said the party would not participate in the election as it is maintaining equidistance from both the ruling TRS and main opposition Congress.

The party's official strength in the Legislative Assembly is three, but one of them had joined the Congress.

Election would be held to fill three vacancies and four candidates, three belonging to TRS and one Congress nominee, are in the fray.

With the TDP deciding to stay away from the election, theTRS is expected to wrest the three seats as its ally AIMIM has announced support to the party.

In the 119-member Legislative Assembly, the party-wise strength is: TRS-82, INC-19, MIM-7, BJP-5, TDP-3, Independent-1, CPI(M)-1 and CPI-1.

Meanwhile, the Congress said in a release that a whip has been issued to the 19 party MLAs, including those who switched loyalty to the TRS.