‘Seat-sharing should be based on ground realities’

There is an element of uncertainty over the proposed alliance between the BJP and Telugu Desam, said senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Talking to The Hindu here on Friday, he declined to say anything further and pointed out that BJP leader Prakash Javadekar was holding discussions with top TDP leaders. He said it would be unfair on his part to comment when the discussions were in progress.

The BJP wanted to rope in as many non-Congress parties as possible, he said and added that an alliance or seat-sharing was based on ground realities and nobody should overestimate themselves and underestimate others. “This applies to both sides. There is no question of giving and taking. It is only a question of seat-sharing by mutual agreement,” he observed. Mr. Naidu, however, wanted the cadre to be ready for any eventuality.

On whether the alliance would benefit the BJP, Mr. Naidu said overall mood in the nation was in favour of BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. In Telangana it was not about division of the State alone. There were other issues like corruption, price rise, weakening of rupee, agrarian crisis, economy and national security. On all these counts, BJP is on a stronger footing. “People feel Mr. Modi is the answer and he alone can address the challenges before the nation,” he pointed out. For integrated development of both Telangana and Seemandhra, people were aware that the promises would become a reality only if a “favourable government” is at the Centre, he reasoned. “People in both the regions will keep the respective State’s interest in mind and support BJP as far as Lok Sabha is concerned,” he said.

He said the Congress is not in the reckoning in both Telangana and Seemandhra.

Mr. Naidu said all the surveys had shown that the BJP would get majority in the Lok Sabha. The former BJP national president made it clear that in the event of the party coming to power at the Centre, it would not accept conditional support from anybody.