BJP says no deal with TDP, will contest alone in Telangana

Hyderabad: Playing hardball, the Telangana BJP on Saturday said that its alliance talks with the Telugu Desam had failed and that it would go it alone. In Seemandhra, too, the party was unhappy with the TD’s inflexibilty over sharing seats.

Telangana BJP president G. Kishan Reddy informed party leaders that the TD leadership was adamant on sharing seats, despite its base eroding considerably in Telangana.

“The talks are as good as over. We might go alone,” Mr Kishan Reddy told the party election committee meeting.

The BJP reportedly sought 45 Assembly and nine Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and 20-25 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra. The TD was prepared to give 30 Assembly and seven Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and 10 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra.

AP BJP president K. Hari Babu too is reportedly piqued at the small number of seats that the Telugu Desam is offering it in Seemandhra, and urged the party leadership to go it alone. The Telangana BJP has shortlisted its Assembly and Lok Sabha candidates and may announce its first list on Ugadi.

However, TD sources said that TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu was planning to speak to BJP president Rajnath Singh and senior leader Arun Jaitley on Sunday.

Telangana BJP campaign committee chairman Prakash Javadekar held a series of talks with Mr Naidu and TD leaders Sujana Choudhry and C.M. Ramesh and others, but could not reach an understanding. The seats sought by the BJP and the TD’s counter offer will now be posted to the BJP national leadership for a final solution. “The BJP is confident of a big win in Telangana. The Telugu Desam’s base has eroded. If this is the situation, it’s better for the BJP to go it alone than take crumbs from the Telugu Desam,” a senior leader said.