Naidu rings Modi as KCR extends hand to BJP
HYDERABAD: Though the BJP has almost shut the doors on the TDP, the latter is understood to be making last-ditch efforts to persuade the saffron party's Central leadership to change its mind.
A day after BJP's Telangana unit chief G Kishan Reddy ruled out the alliance, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday rang up BJP president Rajnath Singh and the party's PM candidate Narendra Modi and is learnt to have asked them to soften their stance on seat-sharing as 'alliance is mutually beneficial.'
However, Modi and Rajnath didn't give him any assurance. They reportedly made it clear that the BJP wasn't ready to play second fiddle to the TDP and demanded a 'respectable share of seats' ' the BJP is demanding 45 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and 25 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra.
The TDP is offering 40 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and 15 Assembly and four Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra.
Modi and Rajnath, sources said, informed Naidu that a final decision will be taken at the BJP's central election committee meeting on Monday. Kishan Reddy and party senior leader B Dattatreya have been summoned to Delhi on Monday for a final talk.
TDP leaders are still hopeful of a positive outcome. 'I believe a positive decision might be taken Monday,' said TDP leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy after the TDP politburo meeting here.
The BJP State leadership, however, kept up the heat. Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu said, 'I have told our party's state leadership they should be ready for anything. I have even asked the Seemandhra and Telangana units to start the process of selection of candidates.'
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar and seniors such as Arun Jaitley are learnt to have held discussions with the TDP leadership. The TRS seems to be sensing an opportunity amidst this drama.
A senior TRS functionary told Express they are leaning towards the BJP. The chances of a TRS-Cong alliance almost came to naught in the wake of Peddapalli MP Vivek planning to defect from the pink party to his parent party, Congress.
The TRS sees in his move an attempt by the Congress to isolate it. The Congress has more or less finalised an alliance with the CPI and arrived at an understanding with the MIM. This leaves the TRS with no other option but to look towards the BJP.
News Posted: 31 March, 2014
|
