The suspense over revival of alliance between BJP and Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is expected to end soon.
Following an invitation from the BJP’s central leadership, Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, the actor-turned-politician whose Jana Sena Party is already an ally of both TDP and BJP, have left for New Delhi on Thursday.
According to TDP sources, Naidu will hold talks with senior BJP leaders to firm up seat-sharing agreement for the ensuing simultaneous elections to Andhra Pradesh assembly and Lok Sabha.
The imminent deal is part of a larger political strategy of the saffron party to reach out to the former allies and expand the NDA’s footprint to meet its ambitious target of winning 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
In tune with this plan, the BJP is on the verge of finalising an alliance with the Biju Janata Dal, a former NDA constituent which is in power in Odisha.
Senior leaders of the two parties held separate meetings on Wednesday and dropped hints of such a possibility.
The TDP, which was once part of the BJP-led NDA, had walked out of the alliance in 2018 to protest against the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, an emotive demand of the people post-bifurcation.
Win-win proposition
The revival of alliance between BJP and TDP is seen in political circles as a win-win proposition.
The BJP, which is virtually a non-entity in AP, hopes to get a foothold in the state with the help of a formidable player like TDP.
On its part, the TDP leadership is convinced that a combined opposition alone can dislodge the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
“With the BJP widely expected to return to power at the Centre, it would be of great help to be part of the winning combination. A friendly government in Delhi will help our cause,” a TDP leader said.
The TDP circles feel that though BJP is a marginal player in AP politics, the alliance with it would help in future in the likely event of the NDA returning to power at the Centre.
The regional party has been warming up to the saffron party after suffering crushing defeat in the 2019 elections.
However, the BJP had been cold to Naidu’s overtures as the ruling YSR Congress Party had maintained friendly ties with the Modi government at the Centre and extended support to it in the Parliament in passing several key bills.
With elections round the corner, the pressure has been mounting on BJP leadership to take a decision on the alliance. Most of the state BJP leaders are in favour of alliance with TDP-Jana Sena combine.
BJP state president D. Purandeswari, who is sister-in-law of Naidu, had recently submitted a report to the party’s central leadership on the feedback gathered from members of the party’s state executive on the alliance.
TDP also faced a drubbing in simultaneous elections to Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha in 2019.
The YSRCP swept the polls, winning 151 seats in the 175-member Assembly.
TDP could win only 23 Assembly and three out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
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