Elections 2014: Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party for honourable deal
Chandrababu Naidu has taken up the alliance issue with national leaders of BJP
Hyderabad: The BJP national leadership will take a decision soon on the Telugu Desam and BJP alliance in the state. The state BJP leadership, which held preliminary talks with the Telugu Desam leaders but could not reach an understanding, has now left the issue to the national leadership. Sources said Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu has taken up the alliance issue with BJP national president Rajnath Singh, M. Venkaiah Naidu and other national leaders.
“Talks are still on with regard to an alliance with the BJP. It is yet to be finalised. We would certainly like to have an alliance with a party which could help in construction of Seemandhra and reconstruction of Telangana,” said Mr Naidu on Monday night.
State BJP president G. Kishan Reddy told this newspaper that the BJP-TDP alliance would be decided by the BJP national leadership.
“We have left the decision on an alliance with Telugu Desam in Telangana and Seemandhra to the BJP national leadership. Talks are on,” he added.
Mr Kishan Reddy was confident that the BJP, riding high on a Modi wave, would bag a large number of Lok Sabha seats in the state. The BJP-Telugu Desam Party alliance had hit a road-block as the state BJP had sought 50 per cent of Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in Telangana region, which works out to about 60 MLA and nine MP seats. Similarly, the BJP wanted one Assembly seat in each of the 25 Lok Sabha seats besides five-six Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra where there are 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats.
Mr Naidu had reportedly rejected both the suggestions and wanted the BJP to drastically reduce the numbers stating it didn’t have the requisite strength to contest and win the seats.The state BJP leadership on the other hand said that the Telugu Desam was “very weak” in the Telangana region while the BJP was on a much better footing.
“The BJP is very strong in Telangana whereas Telugu Desam Party is weak. It’s a known fact. We are not claiming more seats in Seemandhra. However, I have left the issue to be decided by the national BJP leadership,” Mr Kishan Reddy added.