The beleaguered opposition TDP seems to be facing severe fund crunch, particularly in the Tirupati Lok Sabha by-election.
The party, which had lost the 2019 general elections and had tasted the repeat of humiliating defeat in the Gram Panchayat elections and the urban local bodies elections, is now heading towards financial crisis.
Added to the series of humiliating defeats, the party had also lost its financiers like Sujana Chowdary, C M Ramesh, T G Venkatesh, P Narayana, who have been pumping money for the party activities.
In fact, the party had faced financial crisis after the bifurcation with leaders like Nama Nageswara Rao, Kambhampati Ramamohan Rao staying back in Telangana.
However, the presence of Sujana Chowdary, C M Ramesh, T G Venkatesh and Narayana had given some relief to the party, after bifurcation.
Now, with Sujana, Ramesh and Venkatesh leaving the party and joining the BJP on one side and Narayana keeping himself away from the party activities on the other, the TDP is in deep financial crisis.
Naidu had never spent money for any election from his pocket. He used to use these leaders for any event and compensate them with some government favour or the other.
With these leaders deserting the party, he is finding it tough to spend for the Triupati by-election. Ironically, party candidate Panabaka Lakshmi too is not spending, as expected.
Fatefully, the TDP has no leaders around the party candidate on Wednesday when she filed her nomination.
Given all his previous elections, particularly when he was in power, the Tirupati by-election is likely to see no funds from the party to the candidate.
The party rank and file too feel that the Tirupati by-election is most unwanted at this point of time, as the party had faced fateful defeat in the local elections.
With no finances on one side and no enthusiasm among leaders and cadre on the other, it is going to be tight walk for Naidu in the by-election.
