Miffed over TDP alliance move, BJP Andhra district chiefs hope to get their pound of flesh from tripartite tie-up

BJP-ally Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Pawan Kalyan, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been pushing for a three-party alliance including the TDP in Andhra Pradesh to take on the might of the YSRCP.

Sources said the TDP and the JSP had reached an understanding on seat sharing in almost all constituencies, barring a few. The BJP’s district leaders, meanwhile, are hoping the party’s national and state leaders to secure a “decent” share of seats for the party in the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance.

The “decent” share, according to them, is a seat — Lok Sabha or Assembly — each in every district.

Also Read: Pawan Kalyan’s pitch for TDP-JSP-BJP reunion nears finalisation

The pitch for decent share 

The district leaders justified their demand. They have been working for the party for years but had to remain under the shadow of Andhra Pradesh’s bipolar political landscape, where the two regional parties — the YSRCP and TDP — held sway. They now want to be seen and heard in the state’s mainstream politics.

The leaders fear that the possible alliance with TDP would obliterate their opportunity to emerge from the shadows.

A meeting convened by BJP’s national leaders witnessed the party’s district office-bearers vehemently opposing the alliance with the TDP.

However, they changed their mind — albeit reluctantly — after senior leaders, including former chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Rajya Sabha member CM Ramesh, strongly favoured a tie-up with the TDP and the JSP.

The district leaders’ opposition to the alliance stemmed from the realisation of a lack of political space for them in the alliance and a trust deficit. Most of them view Naidu with suspicion since he had earlier snapped ties with the BJP.

Naidu had left the alliance with the BJP twice — once in 2004 following his defeat, citing the Godhra riots for making minorities drift away from the TDP, and again in 2019, due to the unkept promises made for the now-bifurcated Andhra Pradesh.

In both instances, Naidu’s parting came as a slap in the face of the BJP, especially its top brass. Several party workers, specifically those with an RSS background, are still smarting from the insult meted out to the party.

However, when the party’s top leaders and central leadership favoured the alliance, the district presidents were forced to comply.

Then again, the district presidents want an opportunity to join mainstream politics. With a small number of seats in the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance, they feel that only top state leaders will reap the benefits, while others have to work to ensure the victory of TDP or JSP candidates.

They are looking up at the state leadership to push for fielding one district leader each in all 26 districts.

But the TDP seems to be offering its willing share to the saffron party in its alliance. South First earlier reported that the TDP had offered around six Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly seats for the JSP and the BJP.

“There may be a change in the number of Lok Sabha seats but we are confident that the alliance is almost confirmed, and soon, the leaders will announce it,” a top source told South First.

Also Read: What does an alliance with TDP mean for BJP in Andhra Pradesh?

Strong resentment from district leaders 

A BJP president of a coastal Andhra district said the party had multiple chances to emerge as the third option since the people were disenchanted with the TDP, the Congress, and the YSRCP.

“However, we worked for the TDP’s victory, considering our national interests. This model has proved to be unsustainable, as the BJP’s vote share of less than NOTA in 2019 showed,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, the YSRCP emerged stronger after the 2019 elections.

“Reports indicate that the NDA will comfortably win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. So, it’s not a necessary patch-up for us with the TDP. But the TDP is desperate for an alliance since it wants to enjoy the fruits of national political power,” he added.

On why the BJP is claiming that it didn’t grow while being in alliance with the TDP earlier, another district leader from the Krishna belt region said the party’s top leaders didn’t focus on the state. However, the state BJP leaders failed to create opportunities, like their counterparts in Telangana.

In the November 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, the BJP increased its seats to eight from the earlier three.

The Andhra leader referred to Somu Veerraju and Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, who were the party chiefs in Andhra Pradesh. He held Veerraju, now a member of the party’s national executive committee, for worsening the ties with JSP chief Pawan Kalyan, making the latter lean more towards the TDP.

“This time, there are chances of winning Assembly seats in every district where the BJP has an undeniable presence. However, as a ‘strategic’ move, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu would likely be giving BJP seats with less winning chances. Meanwhile, two to three seats with a higher probability of winning will be reserved for our top brass,” the leader claimed.

Another district leader from the Rayalaseema region expressed hope that the party will contest in Hindupur, and Anantapur, to protect its interests in the region.

“I am against this alliance, but if it’s the party’s call, I will only work if there is a BJP candidate. Otherwise, I will stay home. I will not work for others,” he stated.