While the Times Now-ETG’s latest survey has only factored in the TDP and Janasena as part of the alliance, another survey conducted recently revealed even more interesting possibilities. The results of Aatma Sakshi survey released a few days ago for Andhra Pradesh showed a significant increase in YSRCP’s vote share in the event of the BJP joining the TDP and Janasena alliance.

According to this survey report, the ruling YSRCP is set to win the election comfortably with a 48-percent vote share. Accordingly, the YS Jagan party is predicted to account for anywhere between 106-110 Assembly seats. The TDP-Janasena combine is tipped to get 46.5 percent votes which translates into 64-68 seats. The others, including the BJP and the Congress are likely to get a 3.25 vote share while 2.25 percent of respondents are undecided on who to vote for.

But, a greater number of respondents in its survey seemed to be in favour of the YSRCP if the BJP fights the election as part of the alliance. The pro-YSRCP vote has dramatically soared to 49 percent in this scenario, projecting an Assembly seat tally of 115-122. On the other hand, the TDP-Janasena-BJP alliance is expected to receive 45 percent votes, registering a marginal dip in its combined vote share as opposed to the earlier scenario. The alliance combine that features the BJP will have to settle for anywhere between 60-65 Assembly seats. The survey also shows a slight increase in vote percentage (4%) for ‘others’ which includes the Congress while there are two percent of undecided respondents.

This throws up an interesting outcome to nail the fact that the YSRCP will be the undisputed beneficiary in either case of the alliance combinations in the opposition camp, i.e., with or without the BJP in the TDP-Janasena mix.

The bottomline is that the YSRCP, which is tipped to retain power in almost all the credible surveys, is only surging ahead stronger as the elections are fast-approaching. In contrast, the TDP and the Janasena are in total disarray, unable to cobble together a strong opposition battle line to take on the mighty YS Jagan and his YSRCP. Both Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are seriously hankering for an alliance with the BJP for both political and personal interests.

While they are of the realisation that they can fight YS Jagan only in a pack, the duo is also said to be more worried about the legal challenges that could come from a swarm of corruption cases after the elections. Though they claim that the alliance is for the overall betterment of the state, in reality, it is aimed to provide Chandrababu Naidu a protective shield from further legal action as the BJP-led NDA is all set to retain power at the Centre for the third straight term under Narendra Modi.