VIJAYAWADA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is learnt to have invited the TDP to join the NDA bandwagon when TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu met him in New Delhi late on Wednesday night.
Sources in the TDP said a formal invitation was extended by Shah to Naidu to align with the BJP, and the latter informed the Union Minister that a decision would be taken after discussing the matter with the party leaders.
In fact, the BJP has a truck with the Jana Sena Party in Andhra Pradesh, and the JSP is in alliance with the TDP. After the announcement of an electoral alliance with the TDP, JSP chief Pawan Kalyan maintained that the saffron party would also join the TDP-JSP combine, and the same seems to be realised soon going by the talks between Shah and Naidu.
Informing that the BJP leadership is focused on strengthening the NDA to get back into power for the third consecutive term by winning the ensuing elections, a TDP leader said Naidu went to the national capital to hold talks with the BJP leadership on the invitation from Shah.
“As of now, Shah has invited Naidu to join the NDA bandwagon and the latter will take a call after discussing the matter within the party,” a senior TDP leader told TNIE. Stating that the issues like seat sharing did not come up for discussion, he said a formal announcement on the electoral alliance with the saffron party is likely to be made after a thorough discussion within the TDP.
As the election schedule is likely to be released by the end of February or in the first week of March, the TDP is planning to give a clarity to its candidates at the earliest after finalising the seat sharing with the JSP in the State.
Now, with the BJP likely to join the alliance, the seat sharing among the three parties is expected to take more time, sources added.