Political temperature soars in AP with BJP-TDP talks on alliance
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Vijayawada: Political temperatures have risen in Andhra Pradesh with the airdashing of Telugu Desam Party national president N Chandrababu Naidu to Delhi from Vijayawada and holding late night meetings with the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday fuelling speculation on his reentry into NDA.
Though talk of tripartite alliance is doing the rounds ever since film star Pawan Kalyan announced his alliance with the TDP in September last year when he called on Naidu after his arrest and remand at Rajamahendravaram Central Prison in skill development case, there was no open dialogue between the BJP and its former ally on the ‘home-coming.’ Naidu had walked out of NDA in 2018 after sailing with it as a coalition partner accusing BJP of not fulfilling its promise to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh. Jana Sena Party founded by Pawan is part of NDA.
Even after aligning with TDP, he has been exuding confidence that BJP will join them to avoid division in anti-YSRCP votes. Despite his repeated statements on tripartite alliance, the BJP State leaders including State president Daggubati Purundeswari, daughter of legendary actor and TDP founder late N T Rama Rao (NTR) have been saying that the party high command will take decisions on alliances.
After Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of BJP national president J P Nadda, there were reports that Pawan will also rush to Delhi to participate in the talks. Due to apparent reasons, there was no official word on the prospects of alliance from both BJP and TDP. Sources said now negotiations are being held on seat-sharing formula. BJP, which contested in alliance with TDP in 2014 general election had won two Lok Sabha and four Assembly seats in AP. Jana Sena Party for the first time fielded candidates in 2019 in alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party and Left parties and could win only one Assembly seat.
Sources said BJP leaders are insisting on allotment of eight to 10 Lok Sabha seats including Rajamahendravaram and Visakhapatnam, from where they had won in the past.
At present, BJP does not have any representative from Andhra Pradesh. As part of its emphasis to strengthen its numbers in South India, the BJP central leadership appears to have decided to consider reentry of TDP into NDA notwithstanding the fact that the saffron party is in good terms with the YSRCP in ensuring hassle-free transaction of business in Parliament during past five years.
A section of TDP feels that their reentry should be conditional by securing firm assurance on continuing Amaravati as single capital, operationalising the formation of South Coast Railway Zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam and fulfilling certain other issues promised at the time of bifurcation. Commenting on the development, YSRCP leader and Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu said whether TDP contests in alliance with JSP or BJP and all together, the spectacular winning of their party under the leadership of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is a foregone conclusion.
A TDP politburo member told Bizz Buzz that their party leaders do not want to take any chance this time and a tripartite alliance definitely increase their numbers and ensure formation of coalition government in Andhra Pradesh and also get its representation in the Union Cabinet after elections due in next few months.
