VIJAYAWADA: The tripartite alliance between the TDP, JSP and BJP that was finalised, in principle, on Thursday night made no headway on Friday as the leaders of the three parties are yet to come to a consensus on seat-sharing.
TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan stayed put in New Delhi on Friday, waiting for a call from the BJP leadership to cut ice. They flew to the national capital on Thursday and held talks with BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where the TDP reportedly expressed its readiness to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The duo is likely to hold discussions with the BJP leadership again on Saturday.
BJP AP State president Daggubati Purandeswari, who was in New Delhi, reached Hyderabad on Friday night as she is scheduled to attend a public meeting, which will be addressed by former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in Nellore on Saturday.
Sources in the State BJP unit said the party had initially put a proposal for 10 Lok Sabha and 13 Assembly seats. A senior leader told TNIE, “We are ready to settle for less Assembly seats, but will insist for at least six to seven Lok Sabha seats.”
He pointed out that the saffron party was able to get a good share of MP seats in all other States where it was striking an alliance.
Citing an example, he said, “In Odisha, where there are 21 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is likely to get 15 seats and the ruling BJD is settling for six. If this is the case in a State where the alliance partner is in ruling, we can negotiate for more seats in Andhra Pradesh too.”
He further observed that the TDP is also in need of forging an alliance to take on the YSRC.
In 2014, the BJP, in an alliance with the TDP, had contested nearly 12 MLA and four MP seats. JSP was a part of the alliance, too, but did not contest the elections.
According to sources, the BJP is keen on contesting the four Lok Sabha seats it had won in the previous elections. These include Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Narasapur and Visakhapatnam. Additionally, the party is also seeking Araku, Vijayawada, Hindupur and Rajampet seats.
The TDP, on the other hand, has reportedly made it clear that it can concede Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Narasapur, Visakhapatnam and Araku. However, the yellow party is of the view that the BJP has very slight chance of winning the other three seats and informed the same to the leaders.
While Purandeswari has reportedly set her sights on Rajahmundry, GVL Narasimha Rao and CM Ramesh are vying for Visakhapatnam. Rebel YSRC MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju could be the possible pick for Narasapur, while former MP Kothapalli Geetha may be fielded from Araku ST-reserved constituency. Former Rajya Sabha MP Sujana Chowdary is the probable contestant for Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat.
It has also been learnt that BJP national leader Y Satya Kumar and seer Swami Paripoornanda Swamy are contenders for the Hindupur seat, while former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy might be fielded from Rajampet.
The BJP leader pointed out, “The TDP cadre might not support its alliance partners in places like Rajampet, Vijayawada and Hindupur as we have a meagre presence. Going by various equations, giving away a seat like Vijayawada to the BJP is like allowing YSRC to win.”
Meanwhile, TDP sources said with the BJP securing some MLA and MP seats, dissidence within the party might peak in the coming days.
The TDP supremo has been persuading senior party leaders and aspirants, who could not get a seat, following the announcement of the first list of 94 candidates.
Naidu has asked his leaders to try and understand the decisions taken up by the party in the larger interests of the State. He has been urging the miffed leaders to work with commitment and ensure the party’s return to power in the State. Naidu has reportedly spoken to in-charges and party leaders of 12 Assembly constituencies and asked them to prepare for the elections.
The BJP national leadership has reportedly conveyed the outcome of Thursday’s deliberations to their State leaders on Friday.