Contrary to the reports that surfaced in a section of national media on Thursday evening, Telugu Desam Party is learnt to have decided against attending the meeting of National Democratic Alliance partners to be held in New Delhi on July 18.
Though the reports said TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, along with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal may attend the meeting, the party sources informed the media that there was no such call from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Even if the BJP invites Naidu to the meeting, he may not go, as there was no discussion in the party about joining the NDA. The party president will not take any such decision without discussing with the senior party leaders or politburo,” a TDP source said.
Apparently, Naidu doesn’t want to commit himself for an alliance with the BJP, unless there is a positive response from the top leadership.
He had already informed senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and J P Nadda that the TDP would not join the NDA, but would only support it from outside.
The TDP chief is also wary of the fact that the Central BJP leadership has been going soft on the YSR Congress party government in the state led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, entertaining him with all kinds of support.
“It cannot play a double game of being friendly with both the YSRC and the TDP,” the party leader said.
At the same time, there is no information from Delhi about a similar invitation to Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, who has been an alliance partner of the BJP, though he doesn’t have any MLA or MP.
“But Pawan Kalyan’s party is expected to make a debut in Parliament and also assembly this time given the public mood. In such a case, he also can be a reliable partner of the NDA. But his party’s name doesn’t figure in the list of invitees to the NDA allies meeting,” sources said.