VIJAYAWADA: About two years ago, when the TDP severed its ties with the BJP-led NDA, the saffron party ended up with perhaps its worst-ever performance in any State in the country at the hustings.
The TDP alleged that the Centre betrayed the State and carried out an extensive campaign against the BJP.
Though the political dynamics in the State took a 180-degree turn in the elections that followed, the BJP is still limping its way to recovery because of the ‘damage’ inflicted on it.
But, once bitten, twice shy, the national party now seems to be more aware of the political pitfalls in Andhra Pradesh.
That, perhaps, is the reason for BJP leaders like GVL Narasimha Rao to swing into action to bring in a national perspective to the State politics by clearly defining the role of the Centre in matters of the State, even when some of his colleagues openly pinned hopes on and promised Centre’s intervention in issues like capital relocation.
“The Centre can’t intervene in the matters of the State. There is a clear distinction between State politics and Central governance. Had we promised something which was not in the Centre’s purview and eventually the Centre clarified that capital location was a matter of the State, we would have been blamed for reneging on the promises made by our local party leaders,” reasoned GVL Narasimha Rao, Rajya Sabha MP and party’s national spokesperson, in an interview with TNIE on Friday.
The MP is clear that over-promising would only hurt his party. “Of course, we would have gotten political mileage had we capitalised on the issue, but we are not here to over-promise. Since I have clarified from the very beginning that Centre will not intervene, there is no shock factor now, saving us from an adverse political fallout,” he added.
Though the Centre has a limited role when it comes to the matters of State, the BJP had adopted a political resolution against the three-capital idea of the YSRC government.
Recalling how the Union government refused to interfere in the matters of State in the past, GVL observed, “When TDP was in power here and NDA was ruling at the Centre, we (BJP State unit) gave representation to Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was the Union law minister even then, to nudge the State in the direction of setting up the High Court in Rayalaseema, a matter in which the Centre could have a say.
He squarely refused and suggested that we could politically fight for it. Even now, we may have passed a political resolution in favour of Amaravati, but the Centre will not interfere just because the party might politically benefit.”
The same will be the case with respect to the issue of abolition of Legislative Council. GVL said that the motivations for the State government’s decision to scrap the Council would be irrelevant for the Centre. “Motivations of Council abolition are not relevant to the Centre. It will go by the procedure and precedents. There is no scope for rejection. The Central government will do what the Constitution says,” he revealed.
But will the BJP really benefit for supporting the fight against capital relocation? “See, we have two options: either to stay away or take the side of the people. In the interest of the State, we have supported Amaravati,” GVL noted.
Keeping past experiences and national perspective in mind, besides being wary to not to fall into the trap of the TDP, the saffron party has evolved its strategy to grow in the State based on its ideology. That is the reason for the party to close the doors for the TDP, which was its ally in the last term, forever. “As a political party, we are here to protect public interest.
"The hypocrisy of the TDP is that it was us to follow Chandranna’s Constitution. When his party is in power, Centre can’t intervene in State issues. But, when YSRC is ruling, he wants Centre to override all State’s decisions.
"This is not done. There is no way for the TDP to be back in the NDA fold. Not even in the next election,” he asserted, recalling party’s previous national chief Amit Shah’s statement in Vizianagaram before the 2019 polls.
It seems the BJP strongly believes that its partnership with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena would brighten its prospects in the State.
“Pawan Kalyan will be a huge asset,” he said. It was widely speculated that many of the saffron party members were against the idea of alliance with the actor-turned-politician, who withdrew his support to his once-ally for ‘denying’ special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
The Rajya Sabha MP confirmed that there were certain reservations within the party initially, but all is well now.
“We’ve had a few apprehensions as to how our partnership would evolve, but after meeting Jana Sena leaders in the first coordination meeting they were instantly resolved and we got comfortable to work together,” he said.
