Unease in TDP over seat sharing demands of BJP, JSP

The burgeoning alliance among the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State is causing unease among TDP leaders and supporters in the erstwhile Krishna district, who fear for their party’s future. The collaboration of these three political entities for the upcoming elections has sparked discontent among TDP aspirants and their followers, particularly due to the allocation demands made by the BJP and JSP.
In the previous 2014 elections, the TDP and BJP contested together, with the JSP not in the mix. Consequently, TDP relinquished two Assembly segments, Kaikaluru and Vijayawada West constituencies. This time around, all three parties intend to contest across all 16 Assembly and two Lok Sabha segments in the erstwhile Krishna district. However, the distribution of seats remains a bone of contention, with Mylavaram, Vijayawada West, Penamaluru, Avanigadda, and Kaikaluru constituencies yet to be finalised.
Recently, the TDP and JSP allied with the BJP-led NDA alliance in the presence of BJP president JP Nadda and Central Home Minister Amit Shah. This development has reshaped the political landscape in the district, with BJP leaders now vying for three assembly segments in the Krishna district: Kaikaluru, Vijayawada Central, and Mylavaram constituencies. Should TDP be unwilling to cede Vijayawada Central, the BJP is pressing for the remaining two constituencies, Mylavaram and Kaikaluru. Reportedly, the BJP has already nominated Dr. Kamineni Srinivasa Rao for Kaikaluru and Nuthulapati Balakoteswara Rao for Mylavaram.
Simultaneously, the JSP is laying claim to Vijayawada West and Avanigadda constituencies, alongside the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha segment. The Machilipatnam Lok Sabha segment appears nearly finalised for the JSP, with indications that Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Bala Shoury, formerly of the ruling YSRCP, will contest under the JSP banner. Moreover, the party leadership is asserting its rights over the Vijayawada West and Avanigadda constituencies. Notably, JSP Vijayawada Urban president Pothina Venkata Mahesh, a contender for the Vijayawada West seat, and the party have also expressed interest in the Avanigadda constituency. Sources suggest that except for the Penamaluru segment, the remaining four constituencies – Avanigadda, Kaikaluru, Vijayawada West, and Mylavaram – are likely to be allocated to the BJP and JSP. However, fierce competition is expected between the TDP and BJP for the prestigious Mylavaram seat. Sitting MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad, who defected to TDP from YSRCP, is a prominent candidate for the TDP, while former minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao and senior leader Bommasani Subba Rao are also in contention.
Meanwhile, BJP leader N Bala Koteswara Rao, who contested the party in the 2019 elections from Mylavaram, is exerting pressure on the party leadership for the Mylavaram seat. As a staunch follower of BJP State President Daggbati Purandeswari, Rao’s demands have intensified, including the insistence that the Mylavaram seat be allocated to his party. Nonetheless, sources indicate that the seat-sharing arrangement will be finalised within a week.