Worried about the growing clout of the YSR Congress Party in Seemandhra, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has stepped up efforts to forge an alliance with the BJP for the next year’s Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu is exerting heavy pressure on the BJP leadership to immediately seal the alliance pact.
Telugu Desam Party sources maintained that the alliance has almost been finalised and the seat-sharing details are being worked out.
Though BJP too is looking forward to expand the NDA, it wants the current assembly polls in five states to get over first.
Chandrababu Naidu wants the BJP to appoint him as convenor of the NDA as the post is lying vacant since the departure of Janata Dal(U) leader Sharad Yadav after the latter’s party broke away from the saffron party on the issue of Narendra Modi’s elevation as PM candidate.
Naidu, who parted ways with the BJP after the 2004 polls as he was worried about losing the minority vote, has no problems with Modi today.
Rather, he wants the TDP to ride on Modi’s popularity and also rebuild his base in the state where he has lost much ground due to his changing stand on the Telangana issue. And for this, the TDP is willing to concede a few extra seats to the BJP and as quid pro quo wants the saffron party to go slow on Telangana.
{{/usCountry}}Rather, he wants the TDP to ride on Modi’s popularity and also rebuild his base in the state where he has lost much ground due to his changing stand on the Telangana issue. And for this, the TDP is willing to concede a few extra seats to the BJP and as quid pro quo wants the saffron party to go slow on Telangana.
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