CM Chandrababu Naidu to decide ties with BJP after Rajya Sabha polls

Hyderabad: AP Chief Minister and TD National President N. Chandrababu Naidu will take a decision on snapping ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party after crucial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to be held on March 23. Elections will be held for three Rajya Sabha seats in AP and according to the present MLA strength, the TD will get two and the YSRCP will get one. Mr Naidu is trying to get all three seats by attracting some YSRCP MLAs on his side. In this process, the support of four BJP MLAs is important to the TD. If the TD snaps ties with the BJP now, it will lose the support of the BJP MLAs and this will benefit the YSRCP candidate. 

Keeping this in view, the TD leadership has decided to quit the Union Cabinet but continue in the National Democratic Alliance grouping for the time being. To win the first round of the Rajya Sabha elections, the support of 44 MLAs is required. The last date for filing nominations is March 12. If the TD fields three candidates, the elections will be held on March 23. Fearing that the TD will lure away its MLAs, the YSRCP leadership has sent all its MLAs to a camp outside the state. By March 12 it will be known whether the TD will field three candidates or two.