As 2019 Lok Sabha election nears, a look at BJP’s alliance conundrum

Two ministers of the TDP, which is BJP’s biggest southern alliance, have quit the Union government over special status category to Andhra Pradesh.

The move by Telugu Desam Party’s ministers to quit the Modi cabinet brings the spotlight back on the BJP’s relationship with some of its allies. The BJP has a majority in the Lok Sabha on its own and can survive without any support. Yet, as the 2019 Lok Sabha election draws closer, the relationship between the NDA allies could have a bearing on the poll outcome. Here is how the BJP maintains a fine balance with some of its major alliance partners.

TDP MP's protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Parliament House demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh during the second phase of the budget session in New Delhi, on March 8. (PTI Photo)