TDP, BJP engage in bargain for seats

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP are driving a tough bargain on seat-sharing in Telangana even after reducing decibel level of the war of words.

BJP senior leader Prakash Javadekar, who arrived here on Thursday, was closeted with TDP Rajya Sabha member Sujana Chowdhary, but they have not yet come to any agreement. According to BJP sources, an announcement on seat-sharing may not be possible even on Friday as the progress is slow. 'May be by day after tomorrow both the sides may cement a deal,' he said.

The TDP, after expressing shock and surprise over the BJP's demand for 60 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats, is now prepared to allot up to 45 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats.

The parliamentary seats offered are: Chevella, Karimnagar, Malkajgiri, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Warangal, Nizamabad and Bhongir but the BJP wants more Assembly seats though the figure for the LS seats is acceptable to them.

The BJP leaders are refusing to get off the high horse they are riding, saying that the TDP needed their support in Telangana and, therefore, they cannot bargain with them. But some TDP leaders say that offer of 45 Assembly seats is very generous and that the BJP should not have any grouse.

While this is so, the leaders who joined the BJP in Andhra are worried over the BJP seeking up to 60 seats from Telugu Desam as this might derail the talks process altogether.

In such an eventuality, all those who have joined the BJP from other parties in Seemandhra would have to hang up their shoes and cool their heels because as the BJP candidates and without alliance with the TDP, there is no way they can win the elections.

As the BJP does not have any base in Seemandhra and secondly as it is the 'partner' in division of the state, the stock of the party is at its lowest point now and only the TDP could lift it up with N Chandrababu Naidu's image that he was all along rooting for samaikyandhra.

They wonder why the BJP should insist on a lion's share of seats in Telangana at a time when no other party is willing to join hands with it for fear of losing minority votes.

In Seemandhra, there may not be any problem on seat-sharing but for it to happen, a poll deal has to be clinched in Telangana first. In Seemandhra, the BJP would be too happy with whatever number of Assembly seats the TDP would offer.

But they want at least five Lok Sabha seats for them and they may not be ready to compromise on that figure because for Narendra Modi to become the prime minister they need as many Lok Sabha seats as possible all across the nation.