BJP-TDP talks on to save alliance in Seemandhra

Hyderabad, April 18:

BJP national spokesman Prakash Javadekar Friday met TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu to save the alliance between the two parties in Seemandhra, which is on the verge of collapse.

Javadekar, who is incharge of BJP affairs in Andhra Pradesh, met Naidu at the latter’s residence here amid demands by the regional partner to give up seven of the 15 assembly seats allocated to it in Seemandhra. Some TDP leaders have even fielded nominations from the constituencies left for the BJP.

Naidu had stated Thursday that the alliance is proving costly for the TDP as the BJP has fielded weak candidates from majority of the 15 assembly and five Lok Sabha constituencies. The former chief minister is miffed with the BJP for fielding his estranged sister-in-law D. Purandeswari for Lok Sabha from Rajampet.

Purandeswari quit Congress last week and joined the BJP. She, however, was not given ticket from Visakhapatnam, from where she was elected in 2009.

The TDP chief is also upset over the BJP ignoring Raghuram Krishnam Raju, a businessman considered close to him. Naidu wanted the national party to give him ticket for Narsapur Lok Sabha seat. Raju Thursday filed nominations from the same constituency as a candidate of both TDP and BJP and also as an independent.

Under the alliance, the TDP has allocated eight Lok Sabha and 47 assembly seats in Telangana for the BJP.

The TDP chief said while the alliance in Telangana was intact, it was proving costly for his party in Seemandhra. Seemandhra, which has 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats, is going to polls May 7. Saturday is the last day for filing nominations.

(IANS)