Around 50 members of the state BJP unit are attending a two-day meeting and the majority are against an alliance with the TDP.
Published Jan 04, 2024 | 11:24 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 04, 2024 | 11:24 AM
The state unit while their chief briefing the agenda of the meeting on 3 Jan. (South First)
In the political battleground of Andhra Pradesh, the war rooms are buzzing, formulating strategies and counter-strategies ahead of both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May.
The BJP, toiling to expand its footprint in the Andhra soil and establish itself as a mainstream political formation in the state, seems to be drawing up numerous strategies, besides deliberating on possible allies. Its leaders and workers are waiting for a final strategy to enter the electoral battlefield.
Andhra Pradesh is the only state where all regional parties maintain good relations with the BJP. So far, neither the YSRCP nor the TDP has tried to rub the BJP the wrong way. Both parties have supported all Bills — including contentious ones such as the Farm Bill and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The Jana Sena Party is already in alliance with the BJP. It contested the recent Telangana Assembly election in alliance with the saffron party and came a cropper.
The Jana Sena chief, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, unilaterally announced his support to the TDP soon after the latter’s national president N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in the multi-crore skill development scam on 9 September 2023. Kalyan might have anticipated the BJP to toe his line. It has not happened so far.
BJP workers posing for a group photo at the party office in Vijayawada. (South First)
Meanwhile, the BJP workers have no reason to join forces with the TDP. They are comfortable with either going with the Jana Sena or even alone.
Around 50 members of the BJP state unit, from district presidents to state secretaries, are attending a two-day closed-door meeting chaired by party chief Daggubati Purandeswari and attended by national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash, national secretary Satya Kumar, and national executive members Kiran Kumar Reddy and Somu Veerraju.
The first day, on Wednesday, 3 January, witnessed a majority opposing an alliance with the TDP. National general secretary Tarun Chugh will attend the meeting on Thursday. He will inform the national leaders about the views expressed in the meeting.
Those who opposed the alliance echoed the general sentiment of the party workers. Patil Sesha Murthy, a 75-year-old BJP karyakarta, was seen smiling with fellow party members at the bustling office. He has been associated with the RSS since his Class 10 and has been working for the BJP in his constituency, Kalyandurg, in the Anantapur district.
When asked why the BJP is still not in the state’s mainstream politics, Murthy blamed the alliances for preventing the party from gaining traction in the state. He expressed optimism that the lotus will bloom in Andhra Pradesh.
He recalled the TDP breaking away from the NDA in March 2018 and the protests it had organised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Such actions, including waving black flags and abusing leaders, humiliated the entire party workers, he opined.
Another karyakarta, Subba Reddy from Kurnool, a retired CISF personnel, wished for a proper strategy for the party’s future stakes. He felt that the BJP does not need the TDP, but it is the TDP that needs the BJP.
Srinivas Modi, a 33-year-old state secretary of the Yuva Morcha asserted that no one from the Sangh Parivar wants any truck with the TDP. “The TDP has always gained from the alliance, not the BJP,” he echoed Subba Reddy’s words.
Srinivas expressed concern over Pawan Kalyan’s history of entering into an alliance and leaving it after a short while.
On the other hand, Srinivas Reddy, another karyakarta with 10 years of party experience, believed that considering the electoral prospects, the BJP should have an alliance with the TDP and Jana Sena to edge out YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP.
He suggested that after Jagan’s fall, the BJP could aim for the second slot in the state, and add enough ammo for the 2029 elections. Both Srinivas Reddy and another karyakarta DV Srinivas, expressed the view that a solid alliance is needed to challenge Jagan Mohan.
Fresh out of the meeting on Wednesday, a state Yuva Morcha secretary, spoke to South First. “The leaders expressed that the BJP has never been properly tested due to its long alliance with the TDP. Therefore, the consensus among other leaders is that we should contest the elections independently,” he said.
“It’s suggested that we should stay away from the two parties and whoever faces defeat, the BJP should fill that void. Additionally, in the upcoming elections, it’s believed that first-time voters could be attracted to us,” he further said.
However, he added that a section of leaders preferred going with the TDP and Jana Sena. “A small section of senior leaders are in favour of an alliance with the TDP, citing the potential to win Lok Sabha seats. According to them, the TDP has better chances of winning the upcoming elections.”
Another attendee confirmed that, “A majority of leaders opposed an alliance with the TDP”.
“In case of an alliance, the TDP would decide the seats where we should contest. The chances of losing those seats are high. The TDP will retain seats where they can win. So, I opposed an alliance with the TDP. As far as Pawan Kalyan is concerned, whether he would come with us or will go with the TDP is best known to him,” he added.
Another senior party functionary said that the party’s national leadership will make a final call. “I am for fighting the polls alone, even without the unstable Jana Sena,” he said.
While a trust deficit has been prompting the BJP workers and district-level workers to oppose a possible alliance with the TDP, they are also apprehensive about Pawan Kalyan’s quixotic style of functioning.
On the flip side, the TDP seems to be in two minds. As things stand, it is yet to examine the pros and cons of an alliance with the BJP, while actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan requests the top BJP brass to join the alliances for the consolidation of opposition votes to defeat YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan.
