As the election atmosphere in Andhra Pradesh is picking up heat, ruling YSR Congress party and opposition Telugu Desam Party are trying to outwit each other so that they would get upper hand ahead of the elections.
TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has more or less struck the deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on forming an electoral alliance along with Jana Sena Party headed by actor Pawan Kalyan, is going all out to pamper the saffron party.
Hitherto, Naidu had not given a serious thought to fielding a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state, as his party doesn’t have enough number of MLAs in the assembly. But after returning from Delhi where he has offered to get back into the NDA fold, he is learnt to have changed his mind.
According to sources, Naidu has started contacting YSR Congress party MLAs who have been denied party tickets to contest the next elections and seeking their support, in the event of the opposition fielding its candidate in the elections.
He is reportedly proposing to field a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, though the party doesn’t have even a single MLA in the state assembly to vote for. This BJP candidate will contest on behalf of the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party combine.
After the acceptance of the resignation of Ganta Srinivasa Rao, the TDP is left with 18 MLAs at present in the assembly, the remaining four having been defected to the YSRCP. Since Jagan has denied tickets to around 30 MLAs, even if 26 of them vote for the opposition candidate, he will win the seat.
Sources said Naidu might propose the name of either Sujana Chowdary or C M Ramesh, who had defected from the TDP to the BJP in the past; but still maintain good connections with Naidu. So, it will be a double benefit for Naidu.
In case, the BJP proposes the name of Daggubati Purandeshwari also, Naidu might not have any objection. So, the BJP will have a representation from Andhra Pradesh in Rajya Sabha; and the party, in turn, will help the TDP in the coming general elections.
Obviously, Jagan has become alert over the TDP chief’s moves. He is said to be pacifying the discarded MLAs by interacting with them personally and promising to take care of their political future after the assembly elections.
Sources said Jagan had a hearty talk with Malladi Vishnu, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy and Gummanuru Jayaram in the assembly on Thursday and requested them not to ditch the party when it needed them most. He assured that he would protect their political interests in the coming days.