The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, faced the ire of Telangana protagonists during byelection campaign in Kamareddy Assembly constituency on Sunday. The protesters pelted stones on the convoy of the TD chief near Faridpet village of Machareddy mandal. They also raised slogans against Mr Chandrababu. The police resorted to mild lathicharge to make way for the convoy.

Mr Naidu made whirlwind election campaign in Bhiknoor, Domakonda, Machareddy mandals and Kamareddy town on Sunday. He urged the voters to support party candidate N. Venugopal Rao.

Problem started when Mr Chandrababu asked women to respond on byelections. A woman said that she would not vote for the TD and support the Telangana sentiment. Another old man also reacted on similar lines. The TD president ex-pressed his displeasure over the replies.

Speaking at various election meetings, the TD supremo said that regional political parties are emerging as power centres across the country. Landslide victory of Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is a classic example for the new trend, he said and hoped that the trend would spread to other states.

Coming down heavily on the TRS president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the TD president said that the latter was amassing wealth in the name of Telangana state movement. He alleged that KCR had promoted his family members in politics and urged voters to give a fitting lesson to the TRS chief in the bypolls.