On Thursday, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu met with President JP Nadda of the BJP and Home Minister Amit Shah, which sparked rumors of a possible alliance between the two parties for the upcoming Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Naidu and Mr. Shah are having their second encounter of this kind in as many months. While an official announcement about the alliance is expected within the next day or two, the TDP and BJP will hold another round of talks in Delhi today.
Up until 2018, the TDP was an integral component of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, Mr. Naidu, who was Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister at the time, chose to leave the party due to concerns about funding for the state. With elections approaching, it seems that both parties are willing to work together as long as they can come to an amicable agreement on seat-sharing. Sources claim that possible alliances and the nuance of seat distribution were the main topics of discussion. Although both sides indicate a desire to work together, settling disagreements regarding the number of seats each would run for will determine the outcomes.
With 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats, Andhra Pradesh is a popular place for the BJP to run in eight or ten parliament seats. If an alliance forms, the BJP may settle for five or six Lok Sabha seats, with the TDP holding the remaining seats and the Jana Sena Party (JSP), led by Pawan Kalyan, contesting three of them.
Also Read: Since my mother has gone, bond with Shiva has grown stronger: Akshay
According to reports, the BJP is vying for important seats in Vizag, Vijayawada, Araku, Rajampet, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, and one other place. According to projections, they could win four to six seats, while Jana Sena could win three, including Balashowree’s seat in Machilipatnam.
Former NDA member JSP has already allied itself with the TDP and is strongly pushing the BJP to do the same. Mr. Kalyan took part in the meeting with Mr. Shah personally. Three Lok Sabha and twenty-four assembly seats have already been allocated to the JSP.
With an eye toward a resounding win in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has been attempting to grow the NDA. The party believes that collaboration with local parties that share its goal is essential to its success, as it aims to win 400 seats with allies and 370 seats on its own. In addition to Andhra Pradesh, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Naveen Patnaik, is anticipated to announce a poll alliance with the BJP.
