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Six years after breaking its ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is all set to return to the BJP-led bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, party sources said. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda, intensifying murmurs about a possible alliance ahead of the announcement of general election dates.
TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s second meeting with Amit Shah has brightened the possibility of a seat-sharing arrangement between the two for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
It is reported that Naidu and Shah are likely to meet again on Friday and an official announcement regarding the alliance is expected in the next day or two. ndtv, Jana Sena Party (JSP) president and actor Pawan Kalyan is also likely to be present in the meeting.
Naidu’s entry into NDA depends on seat sharing
Sources told PTI that the outcome of the ongoing discussions between BJP and TDP will mainly depend on whether both the parties mutually agree on seat sharing or not.
Chandrababu Naidu had also met Shah and BJP President JP Nadda in February. However, there was a difference of opinion between the two parties on how many seats the BJP would contest in the state where it does not have much presence. There are a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 assembly seats in the state. The saffron party is keen to contest elections in eight to ten parliamentary constituencies. However, a TDP leader told PTI that in the event of an alliance, the TDP is ready to let BJP contest on 5-6 Lok Sabha seats, Jana Sena on three and his party on the remaining seats.
According to TDP leaders, any delay in forming the alliance would be counterproductive as any ambiguity would confuse party workers and supporters. Actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena party, which has been a member of the NDA, has already joined hands with the TDP and has been a driving force behind the BJP’s ongoing discussions with Naidu for TDP’s entry into the NDA.
This development has come at a time when there is speculation about an alliance between the BJP and Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal in the state for the general elections. Both the parties are on the verge of finalizing their alliance as senior leaders of both the parties held separate meetings on Wednesday and hinted at such a possibility.
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Published: 08 March 2024, 02:15 PM IST
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