The BJP has reached an electoral agreement with Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh, marking a significant step towards reuniting one of its former allies within the NDA alliance.
In principle, BJP, TDP, Jana Sena have decided to work together for upcoming polls, modalities being discussed: TDP MP K Ravindra Kumar
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 8, 2024
Following extensive negotiations, the two parties engaged in discussions preceding the Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh assembly elections. According to the media reports, the agreement was finalized late Friday night. Under the terms of the agreement, the Jana Sena and BJP are anticipated to secure approximately eight seats out of the total 24 Lok Sabha seats.
Additionally, for the Andhra Pradesh assembly, the two parties are expected to secure between 28 and 32 seats, as per sources cited by the publication. The remaining assembly seats are likely to be allocated to the TDP.
Allegedly, the Lok Sabha seats that BJP is seeking comprise Araku, Hindupur, Tirupati, Rajampet, Rajahmundry, Narasapuram, and Visakhapatnam. During the initial discussion, TDP purportedly proposed four seats to BJP, encompassing Tirupati, Araku, Rajahmundry, and Rajampet.
Five years ago, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party emerged as the dominant force in both elections, securing victory in 22 out of the state’s 25 Lok Sabha seats and 151 out of its 175 Assembly segments.
Despite contesting independently in both elections, the BJP did not secure a single seat in either. Forming alliances with state parties may not lead to a significantly different result for the saffron party, but it could enhance its overall tally and contribute to achieving the target of “abki baar 400 paar” set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
