Elections 2014: Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party set to seal the deal
Hyderabad: The marathon alliance talks between the Telugu Desam and the BJP on Saturday raised a glimmer of hope.The TDP and BJP leaders claimed that the talks were held in a “cordial environment and issues were sorted out one by one.” At the time of going to press, the meeting was still on.
Both sides exuded confidence of a result either by late on Saturday night or Sunday. “The alliance will be formalised,” said TDP MLA E. Dayakar Rao.
It has been learnt that the deal is for 45 Assembly and 8 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and 15 Assembly and 5 LS seats in Seemandhra. However, dispute continued over some LS and Assembly constituencies.
Mr Prakash Javadekar went to TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s residence for a meet. The leaders were closeted for two hours and then Mr Javadekar met with Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy and TDP leaders Sujana Choudhry, E. Dayakar Rao, M. Narasimhulu and others. Mr Javadekar then met Mr Naidu again for the second round of talks.
A resolution passed by BJP presidents of 11 units in Telangana claimed that with each passing day the vote percentage for the BJP is increasing whereas the vote percentage of the TDP declining, quoting a recent survey which indicated 18 per cent vote share for the BJP in Telangana and only five per cent vote share for the TDP.
“We want the BJP to grow in Telangana and we do not want to repeat the sacrifice we made in 1999 and 2004 when we allied with the TDP. People of Telangana are with the BJP and we demand that the Telangana BJP be given freedom to contest on its own,” it said.
The resolution further added, “If you still go ahead with alliance, we are afraid the BJP organisation will suffer for which we should not be blamed for any future consequences.”
Though there was simmering discontentment among BJP leaders and cadre in both Telangana and Seemandhra units over the alliance with the TD, the strong opposition from Telangana BJP leaders took the BJP leadership by surprise.
“We strongly oppose any alliance with the TDP in Telangana. The BJP is very strong in Telangana. The TDP lost its image due to Mr Chandrababu Naidu’s double talk on Telangana. Why should we bow down to the TDP,” asked President of the BJP, Hyderabad unit B. Venkat Reddy.
Another party leader said many would lose chance to contest if the party goes ahead with the alliance in Telangana.
“Some have worked in the party for over three decades. What is the point if they don’t get tickets even now,” asked BJP district presidents Chandraiah.
The leaders faxed the resolution to Mr Rajnath Singh and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, and personally handed it over to Mr Javadekar, joint organising secretary Satishji and Mr Kishan Reddy.
Speaking to this paper, Mr Kishen Reddy said, “They are upset over the alliance and there is pent-up anger since some feel they may not get a chance to contest in an alliance. I will bring their feelings to the notice of the party high command. There is no need for them to quit the party. We will try to sort out the issue,” Mr Kishan Reddy said.
The signatories to the resolution include: Ayyanagari Bhumaiah (Adilabad), Palle Ganga Reddy (Nizamabad), Meesa Arjun Rao (Karimnagar) Edla Ashok Reddy-(Warangal), Kasala Buchi Reddy (Medak), T. Anjan Kumar Goud (Ranga Reddy Rural), B. Venkat Reddy (Hyderabad Corporation), Veerelli Chandrasekhar (Nalgonda), K. Rathang Pandu Reddy (Mahbubnagar), Kondapally Sridhar Reddy (Khammam) and M. Chandraiah (Ranga Reddy Urban).
