The Telugu Desam Party-BJP alliance fully came back on the track on Saturday. Giving in to its new partner’s pressure, the BJP changed its candidates in five Assembly constituencies. The party, however, ruled out any change of candidates for the lok Sabha seats.
State BJP spokesperson Sudhish Rambotla said the party had changed its candidates on the Assembly seats as per the suggestions of TDP.N Narsaraopeta, Santanu- talapadu, Guntakal, Kodumur and Tadepallegudem are the seats where the BJP effected the changes. Earlier, the BJP had also conceded one seat from its kitty to the TDP in a bid to end the stalemate that threatened to break the alliance.
The alliance seems to have also overcome the problem of dissidence. BJP leader Raghurama Krishnam Raju, who was an aspirant of party’s ticket from Narsapuram lok Sabha constituency, said that he will remain loyal worker of the party.
Krishnam Raju was angry ever since the BJP, ignoring his claim, nominated a VHP leader Ganga Raju from Narsapuram. At one stage, he had threatened to contest as a rebel candidate and had even filed nomination. “Though the BJP leadership had supported me, ticket was denied to me because of intervention of some other organisation,” he said, adding he would work for the victory of the BJP-TDP alliance in Narsapuram.
Meanwhile, another lok Sabha candidate of BJP D Purandeswari also filed her nomination from Rajampeta in Kadapa district. Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu was present with her. Her candidature had also created problems in the alliance of the two parties as the TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu was unhappy with BJP’s choice of candidate. As Saturday was the last day of filing nominations in 25 lok Sabha and 175 Assembly constituencies in Seemandhra, there was a last minute rush of candidates to file their papers.
All eyes were now focused on the visit of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to Telangana on Tuesday next. Modi is scheduled to address rallies in four places in Telangana region, including Hyderabad.
Senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya said that film star Pawan Kalyan will also share the dais with Modi. Dattatreya who met the film star in Hyderabad today said that Pawan Kalyan will decide his election campaign programme after Modi’s visit. Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu will also address the Hyderabad rally along with Modi. However, he is not likely to participate in the rallies at other places in Telangana.