The storm clouds over the TDP-BJP alliance in Seemandhra cleared on Friday, the penultimate day for filing nominations in the region, with BJP leaders stating that the alliance is on track.
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar’s statement that all is well within the alliance came after a meeting with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu who said at a rally in Vizianagaram on Thursday that he feared the BJP had selected candidates who would be defeated.
“The alliance will continue and we will together strengthen forces in both regions to make Modi the PM and Naidu the CM,” Javdekar said in Hyderabad on Friday.
As part of a pact sealed only 10 days ago, the BJP was given four of the 25 Lok Sabha seats and 14 out of 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra. Now, after Friday’s talks, the TDP is taking back the Itchapuram MLA seat in return for which the BJP will get three MLC seats to contest in the legislative council.
The trouble began on Wednesday, with the TDP's agitation over the BJP's selection of candidates, especially the Rajampet LS ticket to ex-Congress minister D Purandeswari and the Narsapur LS ticket that was not given BJP leader R Krishnamraju, who has a good equation with Naidu.
{{/usCountry}}The trouble began on Wednesday, with the TDP's agitation over the BJP's selection of candidates, especially the Rajampet LS ticket to ex-Congress minister D Purandeswari and the Narsapur LS ticket that was not given BJP leader R Krishnamraju, who has a good equation with Naidu.
{{/usCountry}}The TDP also opposed the selection of some BJP candidates for the assembly polls, which will be held along with the LS elections in Telangana on April 30 and in Seemandhra on May 7.
On Thursday, the TDP had threatened to walk out of the alliance, saying that the BJP's weak candidates would contribute to the victory of the YSR Congress led by Jaganmohan Reddy. Some TDP leaders even filed nominations in the seats meant for the BJP while the saffron party began selecting its candidates for all Seemandhra seats.
“Nominations filed by the TDP or BJP in the seats reserved for each other would be taken back," Javadekar said.
Sujana Chowdhary, a TDP Rajya Sabha MP who participated in the truce talks, attributed the confusion of the past two days to “a communication gap”.