If an alliance partner is staying away from a joint manifesto, what indication does it send to the public? Definitely, it raises doubts about the unity between the alliance parties. The same thing is currently happening in Andhra Pradesh politics with the NDA. TDP, BJP, and Janasena are the alliance parties in the Andhra NDA, but surprisingly, the BJP is standing away from the joint manifesto. Even though the BJP shared the stage with the TDP and Janasena while unveiling the manifesto, BJP AP incharge Siddharth Nath Singh has refused to even hold a copy of the joint manifesto. There is no photo of Narendra Modi and no symbol of the BJP on the manifesto copy. Moreover, in his speech, Chandrababu clearly mentioned that the implementation of this manifesto would be the responsibility of the TDP and Janasena alone.
Why the BJP Stands Away from the Joint Manifesto
According to the schedule, the TDP-BJP-Janasena parties were supposed to release their manifestos at 12 p.m. on Tuesday. However, it was delayed by four hours. Later, some sources revealed the reason behind the delay. According to these sources, the BJP showed little interest in being part of the joint manifesto. They even declined to attend the manifesto release programme initially. However, under pressure from Naidu, the BJP eventually sent its state incharge, Siddharth Nath Singh, to the program. Other than expressing support for the manifesto, Siddharth Nath Singh did not say much.
Responding to this, BJP Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao made it clear that the BJP is not part of the joint manifesto. He stated that the BJP had already announced its national manifesto and reiterated that their party has a national policy. Therefore, he emphasised that the responsibility of implementing the manifesto lies solely with the TDP-Janasena alliance. He also praised YSRCP’s manifesto for maintaining credibility under CM Jagan’s leadership. Another BJP leader, IYR Krishna Rao, criticised the TDP-JSP manifesto, stating that its implementation would be impossible. That is why the BJP is not involved in the manifesto, he added.
MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT for #MahaDushtaKutami Alliance! 😳
BJP’s Siddharth Nath Singh refuses to even hold the TDP manifesto at the launch.
Noteworthy: PM Modi’s photo is MISSING from both the manifesto and event branding!
Sources reveal: Press conference delayed over 3 hours due… pic.twitter.com/sSHQz46nSD
— Avesh Kumar Singh (@AveshKumarSingh) April 30, 2024
The Joint Manifesto lost credibility!
The TDP, BJP, and JSP contested together in an alliance in 2014, and they are repeating the same alliance for the upcoming elections. However, initially, the BJP showed little interest in aligning with the TDP due to Chandrababu Naidu’s criticism of the NDA government after their previous alliance breakup. The BJP made it clear in the past that they had no intention of joining forces with Naidu.
However, the BJP’s alliance partner, Janasena, made efforts to bring the TDP into the fold. Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan himself admitted this, stating that the alliance of the TDP, BJP, and JSP was formed because of his efforts. From the BJP’s perspective, they may not have had significant ground support, so joining hands with the TDP and JSP could potentially bolster their electoral prospects. Regardless of the outcome, the BJP stands to lose very little, making it a relatively safe move. It seems that the BJP does not want to damage their image by making false promises, that is why the party has stood away from the joint manifesto.
It is clear that this lack of unity within the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance could be viewed negatively by the people of Andhra Pradesh. If the alliance partners themselves do not have faith in their manifesto, why should the public? With the elections looming, this disunity could severely impact their chances.