The impending strike on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) finally took place on Thursday. And this just seems to be the beginning. For a long time now, the Bharatiya Janata Party's response to its former ally in Andhra Pradesh was awaited.
The relations between both the parties turned sour after TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu decided to break ties with the BJP over the special category status issue. The TDP, then, took up a sustained campaign against the BJP for over a year, badly damaging the latter's prospects in the state. In the recently held general and assembly elections, the national party did not win even a single seat. The political feud became a full-blown rivalry after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Naidu launched personal attacks against each other during campaigning.
Also read
- Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan in Delhi today as TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance talks gain momentum
- Andhra assembly polls: TDP, JSP to join hands with BJP, release first list of candidates
- TDP losing muscle to YSRCP; several leaders keen on switching sides
- YSR Cong MP kisses cop’s shoe to protest TDP politician’s remark
Though it was widely speculated that one or two TDP Rajya Sabha MPs might switch sides and join the BJP, what happened on Thursday even surprised TDP’s own party men. Four out of six TDP MPs met Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, requesting him to allow the merger of the TDP Legislature Party with the BJP.
In another development that took place on the same day in the coastal town of Kakinada, more than a dozen former legislators and senior leaders of the TDP met in a private property. It is learnt that they explored the idea of joining the BJP.
As far as TDP's Lok Sabha MPs are concerned, Naidu, who is currently in Europe, may be in for another shocker. According to sources, two of the three Lok Sabha MPs, who recently won on TDP ticket, have made up their mind to join the BJP.
If this was not enough, BJP leaders have claimed that at least eight TDP legislators are in touch with their high command. According to TDP sources, six MLAs may join the BJP before the budget session in July. Naidu may lose his leader of opposition status in the next assembly session if the TDP loses more than five MLAs as the party now has just 23 MLAs in the 175-member house.
Though the entire exercise may seem like a well-planned operation of the BJP, some of the YSRCP leaders are not entirely convinced. According to them, Chandrababu Naidu is quite capable of sending his men to the BJP to protect them from any unwanted trouble from the party at the Centre.
