The BJP has finalised a seat-sharing agreement with Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Andhra Pradesh. This move is expected to bolster the BJP's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, especially in a state where the party's influence is traditionally weak.
Although the joint statement mentioned that the specifics of seat-sharing would be discussed later, sources indicate that the BJP has accepted Naidu's proposal of allocating 30 assembly seats (out of 175) and eight Lok Sabha seats (out of 25) to its alliance partners. With the Jana Sena Party already allocated 24 assembly and three Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is anticipated to receive six assembly and five Lok Sabha seats.
Odisha netas summoned to Delhi
Amid buzz in political circles that coalition talk between BJP and BJD could be in final stages, the saffron party’s Odisha leadership was summoned to Delhi by party’s central hierarchy. Talks are doing the rounds that state BJP functionaries may be asked by the top leadership to refrain from making misleading comments on the alliance after party’s Odisha chief Manmohan Samal strongly ruled out a coalition with BJD upon his return from Delhi.
Samal, general secretary (organisation) Manas Mohanty, state election in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar and coin-charge Lata Usendi reached the national capital in the evening, their second visit to Delhi in the last four days as part of the strategy to fine tune the alliance.
On the fresh summon to Delhi, Samal said the party’s central leadership wants to discuss the ground situation for upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in state.