Suspense continued over a formal announcement of the proposed electoral alliance between Telugu Desam and BJP as the former is yet to make up its mind on some of the seats claimed by both parties in Telangana and Seemandhra regions.
TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu told reporters after the party’s Polit Bureau meeting on Thursday that any tie-up should be mutually beneficial. He expressed the hope that the deal would be clinched in a day or two.
He hinted that the TDP might part with some of the seats considered to be its strongholds keeping in view “national as well as Telugu people’s interests”. He, however, declined to reveal the number of seats the TDP was willing to concede to the BJP. “I won’t comment,” was his cryptic reply when asked if the alliance would be forged.
Mr. Naidu said that might face adverse reaction in the party if he conceded too many seats to BJP.
Even as he was addressing the media, a group of party activists from the Mushirabad Assembly constituency staged a protest in front of his residence and raised slogans against allotting the seat to BJP.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that BJP national president Rajnath Singh spoke to Mr. Naidu earlier in the day.
When contacted, Telangana BJP president, G. Kishan Reddy said the party national leadership in principle had decided to have a truck with the TDP and that senior leader Arun Jaitlley was in touch with TDP leaders on the issue.
The Telangana BJP is seeking 50 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats, while the Seemandhra BJP unit is demanding 20 Assembly and six Lok Sabha seats.
