SNCN ACHARYULU
The corruption cases against politicians have become a source of strength for the BJP in dealing with political parties at the state level.
Finally, the BJP joined the TDP–Jana Sena alliance. After a gap of seven years, the TDP re-joined the NDA led by the BJP. When the YSRC, a reliable unofficial partner of the NDA is there, why did the BJP agree to join the TDP–Jana Sena alliance having the unreliable Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP?
The BJP is pressuring Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to join the NDA. But Jagan is strongly opposing the proposal. But he has assured the NDA government that he would support them whenever his support is required in Parliament.
Of late, some political parties have left the NDA. The BJP leadership thought that this may affect the NDA’s image. So the BJP thought that it should bring some more parties into the NDA as that can enhance the NDA’s image.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been supporting the NDA government like Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan. Recently the BJD led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik joined the NDA.
In Karnataka, the Janata Dal (S) led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gouda has already joined the NDA. Now the TDP led by former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has also joined the NDA.
The BJP leadership thinks that if they admit major political parties into the NDA its image will improve in south India. Keeping this in mind the BJP allowed the TDP to join the NDA.
The BJP leadership thinks that even after admitting the TDP into the NDA there will be no change in Jagan’s support for the NDA even though the TDP is the main rival of the YSRC in AP.
If the BJP’s assessment goes wrong in Jagan’s case, the cases against Jagan will help the BJP to control him.
The BJP thinks that even if Jagan does not support the NDA government he will not support the Congress at the national level. In this way, in AP whoever wins the 25 Lok Sabha seats there will support the NDA.
The BJP leadership gives importance to increasing the number of political parties than the strength of these political parties. That is why the BJP agreed to admit the TDP into the NDA and not because the BJP had parted ways with Jagan.
At the same time Jagan is also not ready to fight with the BJP for admitting the TDP into the NDA. All poll survey reports indicate that the NDA will retain power at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.
Jagan is also confident of retaining power and also win most of the Lok Sabha seats in AP. He also knows that adopting a confrontational attitude with the BJP-led NDA government may create problems for his government. If Jagan had agreed to join the NDA the BJP might not have even allowed Chandrababu to speak to them.
