TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance in Andhra Pradesh finalised

AMARAVATI: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will together contest the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh.

A few hours after holding another round of talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu conveyed to party leaders during a tele-conference from New Delhi that TDP will be contesting the elections in alliance with Jana Sena and BJP.

The former chief minister told the TDP leaders that during last five years the YSR Congress government made the state bankrupt and to come out of this situation, the state needs Centre's support.

Naidu explained that keeping the state's interests in mind, the TDP decided to have seat-sharing with the Jana Sena and BJP.

The TDP chief said the leaders who may be denied tickets should not get disappointed.

He also revealed that there is clarity on seat-sharing but the seats will be decided after another round of talks.

The TDP and Jana Sena had last month announced their seat-sharing agreement. The TDP has left 24 out of 175 Assembly and three out of 25 Lok Sabha seats for Jana Sena.

The TDP has also announced its first list of 94 candidates while Jana Sena released the list of five candidates.

At Saturday's meeting, the TDP reportedly agreed to give a total of eight Lok Sabha seats and 30 Assembly seats to Jana Sena and BJP.

Meanwhile, TDP leader Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar said three parties decided to contest together.

He said seats will be decided on the basis of strengths of the parties.

He told reporters that TDP is joining NDA in people’s interest. "This alliance is for state’s future and not for power. The alliance is aimed to save the state," he said.

Ravindra Kumar said they want to ensure that anti-government votes do not split. He said those denied tickets will be provided other opportunities

Earlier, Chandrababu and Pawan Kalyan had nearly an hour-long talks with Amit Shah.

Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, who are camping in the national capital for a third day, held talks with Amit Shah at his residence. This was their second meeting since March 7.

The BJP invited the TDP to join the NDA. The TDP, which had severed ties with the NDA in 2018, is likely to attend a meeting of the NDA soon.

Jana Sena, which is part of BJP-led NDA, announced alliance with the TDP in September last year.

Chandrababu Naidu had met Amit Shah and BJP President J. P. Nadda in Delhi on February 7 to discuss the alliance.

TDP, which had snapped ties with the BJP in 2018, evinced interest in reviving the alliance after suffering crushing defeat in 2019 elections. However, the BJP had been cold to Naidu’s overtures as the Jagan government in the state had maintained friendly ties with the Modi government at the Centre and extended support to it in the Parliament in passing several key bills.