Strong indications from New Delhi that the beleaguered Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu was seriously mulling the idea of again joining the hands with the erstwhile friend BJP, prospects of realignment of political forces in Andhra Pradesh ahead of 2014 elections have increased.
Much before Naidu reportedly told his friends among the left leaders that he was under pressure from his party leaders for a tie-up with the BJP, plenty of indications were available that Naidu was tilting towards the right.
Sources both in the TDP as well as the State BJP had confirmed to this correspondent that Naidu was in touch with them and many intermediaries were at work to bring the two parties closer despite the recent outbursts of Naidu against BJP’s Prime Minister-in-waiting Narendra Modi.
The most visible indication came when many of Naidu’s close aides — including brother-in-law and film actor N Balakrishna and another actor Murli Mohan among others — visited Modi when he was in Hyderabad. The argument that Balakrishna had gone to invite Modi to his daughter wedding did not cut much ice with the observers.
Sources in the TDP said that two factors played a major role in Naidu softening his attitude. Firstly BJP’s decision to anoint Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate and realisation that he was able to attract the middle class, the core constituency of Naidu. Second was Naidu’s suspicion that Congress was entering into a pact with the YSR Congress Party to corner him Seema-Andhra regions. This was further buttressed by the release of YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy on bail in disproportionate assets case.
However it was not clear whether Naidu will go in for a pre-poll alliance with the BJP or extend support to Modi-led Government in case of the BJP mustering the majority.
The State BJP leaders were not willing to stick their neck out as yet. State BJP president G Kishan Reddy evaded the question about the possibility saying he was not aware of any such thing at the moment.
However, reaching an understanding will not be a garden path for both the parties and Telangana issue could be the biggest obstacle as the two parties have diametrically opposite stand on separate State.
Sources say that Naidu wants the BJP to take a U-turn on Telangana issue and at least delay the decision of bifurcation till after the 2014 elections. But once bitten twice shy the State BJP leaders were strongly opposed to any such idea.
They recall that a similar mistake in the past has cost the party dearly. The BJP, which had promised Telangana State in the run up to 1998 polls later went back on it as it badly needed TDP’s support to Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA Government at the Centre.
The State BJP leaders say they will not allow any such U-turn this time. TDP leaders on the other hand say that without a change in BJP’s stand on Telangana, a tie up will be in fact counter productive. “Such a tie up will not benefit us either in Telangana or Seema-Andhra region. If we join hands with the BJP, the people of Seema-Andhra region will angrily reject it,” said a senior TDP leader from coastal belt.