Critics within TDP argue that Naidu is cutting BJP too much slack in his eagerness to rejoin the NDA, providing it with too many concessions.
TDP chief Naidu meets Amit Shah and JP Nadda. (X)
Although it was the BJP that extended its hand of friendship to the TDP, it appears to be driving a hard bargain to let it into the NDA fold.
At the much-anticipated meeting that extended beyond midnight on Thursday, 7 March, seat-sharing talks between the TDP and the BJP took shape.
On one side stood N Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena president and NDA member Pawan Kalyan, while on the other side were Union Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda. In this high-stakes negotiation, the saffron party sought to extract its price in terms of seats, aligning itself with the TDP in its hour of tribulation against the formidable Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Considered a continuation of last month’s discussions between Naidu and Amit Shah regarding the TDP’s re-entry into the NDA, sources reveal that the BJP boldly laid claim to a whopping seven Lok Sabha seats to seal the deal. However, the TDP managed to restrict the number to five.
The TDP supremo astutely pointed out that offering more seats would inadvertently benefit the YSRCP, hinting that the BJP might struggle to secure victory in all the seats it demanded. The BJP’s eagerness to strengthen the NDA, projecting confidence in winning a substantial number of seats, conceals underlying fears of a potential shortfall and a desire to leave nothing to chance.
Having recently welcomed JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar back into the NDA, the BJP is now actively courting Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. However, the TDP seems less enthusiastic about the BJP’s proposal, having already committed a significant number of seats to Pawan Kalyan’s JSP. Accommodating the BJP’s ambitious request would significantly reduce the seats available for the TDP.
While the possibility of reducing Pawan Kalyan’s allocated Lok Sabha seats exists, this proposal doesn’t sit well with TDP leaders. Yet, they find themselves unable to openly oppose it, as Naidu is determined to ally with the BJP at any cost. Aligning with the BJP has become the talk of the nation now, perceived as the party poised for a hat-trick in the elections.
Despite the BJP initially demanding seven seats, TDP leaders speculate that a compromise may be reached at six seats, a number deemed acceptable to Naidu. However, this would necessitate cutting one seat from Pawan Kalyan’s quota of three Lok Sabha seats to accommodate the BJP’s demand.
Critics within the TDP argue that Naidu is cutting the BJP too much slack in his eagerness to rejoin the NDA, providing the party with unwarranted concessions. This, they fear, could prove detrimental to the TDP, a formidable political force in the state, while being a windfall for the BJP, which currently lacks a substantial presence.
The BJP’s performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with less than one percent — 0.98 percent to be exact — of the total votes polled, raises questions about its electoral strength in the region. In Assembly elections, it was much worse, it polled only 0.84 percent.
As for Assembly seats, the BJP may settle for eight to nine, resulting in a combined total of 32 to 33 seats with the JSP. In contrast, the TDP had already secured a deal for 24 seats with Pawan Kalyan.
TDP leaders express dismay over conceding significant ground to Jana Sena and the BJP, despite their lackluster past performance. They believe that Naidu may be overestimating the strength of Jagan Mohan Reddy. They argue that the initial alliance proposal came from the BJP and Naidu decided to play ball, a choice made against the advice of TDP leaders due to its high price tag.
As the negotiations progress, it seems that the deal will be solidified by Amit Shah and JP Nadda, potentially sidelining any direct meetings between Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, and the Prime Minister. The political chessboard continues to evolve, revealing the intricacies and intrigues of coalition politics.
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