Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan have been working towards forming an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming 2024 elections, aiming to challenge the dominance of the YSRCP. Despite the BJP’s relatively modest vote share in Andhra Pradesh in previous elections, both the TDP and JSP are persistently seeking an alliance with the BJP.
Chandrababu Naidu embarked on a trip to New Delhi on Thursday evening to finalise the alliance discussions with the national leadership of the BJP. Party leaders are eagerly anticipating the outcome of these talks.
Previously, BJP national president J P Nadda held preliminary discussions with state BJP leaders, including Daggubati Purandeswari and Somu Veerraju, regarding the allocation of seats from the TDP in the event of an alliance. Naidu will present a list of seats that could be offered to the BJP as part of the alliance. Sources indicate that the BJP may negotiate for additional seats and focus on those with high potential for victory. However, if both parties fail to reach an agreement through negotiations, the alliance may not materialise.
Interestingly, there is widespread discontent among TDP leaders and activists regarding Naidu’s approach to reconciliation with the BJP, perceiving it as compromising the party’s principles. While Pawan Kalyan is working towards bringing Naidu closer to the BJP, internal dissent within the TDP persists.