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BJP seals Andhra poll pact with TDP and JSP; gets 6 Lok Sabha, 10 assembly seats to contest
Under the deal, the BJP will contest six Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats while the TDP will fight 17 parliamentary and 144 state seats.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in Andhra Pradesh finalised the seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in a marathon discussion in Amaravati on Monday. As per the agreement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest six Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats while N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will fight 17 parliamentary and 144 state seats. Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP) got two Lok Sabha seats and 21 assembly seats to fight for as part of the deal.
The state has 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats.
The return of TDP to the NDA fold was finalised at a meeting in Delhi on Saturday following hectic discussions between the BJP leadership, including Union home minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, and the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Another meeting to finalise the seat-sharing formula was held in Amaravati on Monday in which Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat, BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda, TDP chief Naidu, and JSP president Pawan Kalyan were present.
Seat-sharing formula:
| Party | Lok Sabha seats | Assembly seats |
|---|---|---|
| BJP | 6 | 10 |
| TDP | 17 | 144 |
| JSP | 2 | 21 |
Also Read: Naidu has a lot to answer, says Congress after TDP joins NDA along with Pawan Kalyan's party
In a joint statement issued Monday night, the NDA partners said, “We are committed to the progress and development of Andhra Pradesh and the upliftment of the people of our State. We are committed to the development of our nation, aspiring for India to rise as a global leader.”
“The meeting sought to forge a formidable combination of seats for every alliance partner that truly represents the people of Andhra Pradesh and their aspirations.”
The names of the seats will be announced later by the respective parties.
Announcing the seat-sharing formula on X, Naidu said, “With this significant step, the people of Andhra Pradesh now stand on the threshold of reclaiming our State and paving the way for a brighter future. I humbly call upon my people of Andhra Pradesh to shower their blessings upon this alliance, and grant us a historic mandate to serve them.”
The 2024 polls will be the first time the three parties are contesting the polls together. Back in 2014, when TDP and BJP fought the polls together, JanaSena was their outside ally.
