Responding to a request by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Friday decided not to contest the by-election to a division of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
By-election to Lingojiguda division is scheduled to be held on April 30. The vacancy arose due to death of BJP's corporator elect Akula Ramesh Goud.
The TRS said it decided not to contest in the Lingojiguda division byelection on humanitarian grounds, following the BJP's appeal.
Goud was elected in the elections held in December last year but died before the swearing-in of newly elected corporators early this year.
The BJP, which has decided to field Goud's son in the byelections, appealed to the TRS not to contest to facilitate his unanimous election.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by former legislator N. Ramchander Rao met TRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao and appealed him to facilitate unanimous election of BJP candidate.
TRS MLA from LB Nagar, Sudheer Reddy, Ramesh Goud's wife and son and leaders from both the parties participated in the meeting.
Rama Rao stated on the occasion that the untimely death of Goud was unfortunate. The appeal made by BJP to not field a candidate was discussed with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and as per his instructions, the TRS has decided not to contest in the Lingojiguda division elections, he said.
Goud's family members thanked the Chief Minister and the TRS Working President for acceding to their request on humanitarian grounds.
In GHMC elections held in December last year, the TRS had won 56 seats in the 150-member body while the BJP had put up an impressive show to bag 48 seats. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) had won 44 seats while Congress could secure only two seats.