During the election season, late-night discussions are a common occurrence, and on Thursday evening, the BJP leadership engaged in lengthy conversations with two regional parties to solidify a potential alliance.
N Chandrababu Naidu, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and leader of the Telugu Desam Party, along with Pawan Kalyan, actor-turned-politician heading the Jana Sena, held talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding pre-poll tie-ups.
The TDP, having exited the BJP-led NDA in 2018 over the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh, has shown interest in rejoining the coalition. Pawan Kalyan has played a role in facilitating the reconciliation between Naidu and the BJP.
With the BJP actively forming alliances to reach its target, the TDP-JS combination is on track for formal induction into the NDA. The intricacies of seat-sharing for both Lok Sabha and state elections are nearly finalized.
This new alliance provides the BJP an opportunity to establish a foothold in the southern state and increase its seat count in the general elections. Despite efforts to emerge as an alternative in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP has struggled in terms of electoral performance, lacking a single legislator in the 175-member assembly, with a vote share below 1% in the previous assembly elections.
In July, D Purandeswari was appointed as the state unit president with an aim to tap into Naidu’s vote bank. Daughter of the late NT Rama Rao, founder of TDP, Purandeswari is related to Naidu and belongs to the politically dominant Kamma community.
The BJP-led NDA governments have emphasized social welfare schemes and incentives for consumers in the last decade, creating a vote bank of beneficiaries. Notably, the government announced a subsidy for cooking gas, extending a ₹12,000 crore benefit to 102.7 million poor households by providing a ₹300 subsidy on cooking gas refills for an additional year until March 31, 2025.
Since May 21, 2022, the government has been providing budgetary support for a targeted subsidy of ₹200 per 14.2kg LPG cylinder for PMUY beneficiaries, allowing up to 12 refills a year.
As the BJP strives to form alliances to achieve its ambitious target of securing over 400 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, the TDP-JS alliance is progressing towards a formal inclusion in the NDA