The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which maintained a stoic silence over the issue of alliance till recently, is suddenly calling the shots in the negotiations. Its approach in floating stiff demands and keeping its cards close to its chest has intrigued, not just Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, but even the political observers.
The ruling party at the Centre taking its own sweet time in firming up seats-sharing with the TDP and Jana Sena is keeping Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan on tenterhooks.
After more than a week’s uncertainty, some indications emerged in the last two days about the possibility of a deal finally shaping up between the three parties. But BJP’s Andhra Pradesh Vice-President S Vishnuvardhan Reddy dropped a bombshell now by raising the bogey of the chief-ministership for his party in the event of an alliance.
The Andhra Pradesh leader made some critical comments, sending ominous signs on what is likely to happen to the poll alliance plans. He minced no words to say that his party does not need to shoulder the mantle of making someone else the chief minister. “As a national party with strong organisational roots and enjoying power both at the Centre and in majority of the States, is it necessary for us to help someone sit on the chief minister’s throne?” he questioned.
Vishnuvardhan Reddy also commented that the scenario now in 2024 is quite different from what it was in 2014. “May be, Chandrababu Naidu was a strong leader in 2014. But what is his position today?”, he questioned. He also made light work of the yellow media’s claims that Chandrababu Naidu went to Delhi for alliance talks at the request of the BJP central leadership. “You would know the truth if you understand who sought whose appointment. As an opposition leader, Chandrababu Naidu went and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. None of them revealed what transpired in their talks,” he said.
Vishnuvardhan Reddy’s latest comments sparked the speculation that the BJP central leadership is in no mood to fall in Chandrababu Naidu’s election-time trap yet again. Hence it is using its leaders to float demands that would be unreasonable to the TDP. This goes contrary to speculation in the last two days that the BJP may finally agree for 30 Assembly and 10 Lok Sabha seats that would be shared with Jana Sena.