Elections 2014: Telugu Desam Party seals deal with BJP

Hyderabad: After days of often angry haggling, the BJP and the Telugu Desam all but formalised their alliance in New Delhi on Monday.

The BJP Central leadership, which entered the scene after talks failed between its Telangana unit president G. Kishan Reddy and Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu and their teams, reportedly agreed to an amicable deal barring some irritants which would be sorted out on Tuesday.

“Talks are still on over some issues. We expect a breakthrough by Tuesday,” Mr Kishan Reddy told this newspaper from New Delhi.

Sources said that the Telugu Desam had agreed to concede 45 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and 13 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra.There could be few adjustments in the final round of talks, it is learnt.

Sources said that in Telangana, the BJP would contest from the Lok Sabha constituencies of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal (SC), Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Bhongir, Mahbubnagar and Medak.

Earlier, Mr Kishan Reddy and Telangana Telugu Desam leaders led by L. Ramana had gone to New Delhi to put their respective cases before the BJP leadership.

Mr Naidu, who was busy putting final touches to the party manifesto, spoke to BJP president Rajnath Singh and others over the telephone.
Reacting to the developments, Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader Etela Rajender said there were no formal talks with the BJP for an alliance.

“Some BJP leaders expressed the desire to have a truck with the TRS. There is no further development. I think the BJP will sail with the TDP,” he said.