BJP State president K. Haribabu said that discontent over sharing of seats as part of the alliance with the TDP was expected. Protests by disgruntled aspirants and their supporters in both parties is a temporary phenomenon, and once the nominations are filed, the dust will settle, he asserted. Mr. Haribabu hoped that the BJP-TDP combine would wrest power from the Congress.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Haribabu said the uncertainty over which seats would be allotted to the BJP would end in a couple of days, and that the combine would make every effort to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister. The dissatisfaction over seat-sharing is natural, but the differences will be sorted out soon, he added.
Mr. Haribabu refused to comment on a section of the TDP vehemently opposing the allocation of the Vijayawada Central Assembly constituency to the BJP, saying that negotiations were under way in Hyderabad.
Earlier, addressing a get-together of candidates who contested on behalf of the BJP in elections to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) at the Kedareswarapet mango market, Mr. Haribabu said top priority would be accorded to the development of Gannavaram airport and Machilipatnam port if the BJP came to power at the Centre and in the State with the TDP, its alliance partner.
Vijayawada has tremendous potential, but it remained untapped, as successive governments led by the Congress and the TDP neglected it. The BJP is committed to developing airport and seaport in tandem, and it has a proper plan of action for that, Mr. Haribabu said.
BJP city president D. Umamaheswara Raju alleged that some TDP leaders had resorted to black-mailing his party against laying claim to the Vijayawada Central constituency. BJP candidates have performed exceptionally in 11 divisions (in the constituency) in the elections to the VMC. The party’s chances of winning Vijayawada Central are bright which is not to the liking of the TDP.
