Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader GVL Narasimha Rao stated that NDA is ready to merge TDP with BJP if Chandrababu Naidu is open for discussion. However, he went on to stated that BJP being a national party doesn’t need any alliance as TDP lacks clarity and ideology.

BJP open if Chandrababu wants to merge TDP: GVL Narasimha Rao

Mr Rao said TDP chief Naidu is regretting snapping ties with the BJP because he is scared of the future. GVL said, “But, I don’t know if he is scared after seeing Chidambaram, (DK) Shivakumar and other leaders,” he remarked, referring to the Congress leaders arrested in corruption cases.

He, however, clarified that he was not “threatening” the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. The Rajya Sabha member said that the BJP does not need any tie-up with the TDP as the party lacked credibility and even ideology. Claiming that the BJP had helped Mr Naidu become the Chief Minister in the past, he said the TDP President never became the Chief Minister on his own. “There is no need for friendship with the TDP. What do they have? They had four Rajya Sabha MPs, they joined our party. We don’t need Lok Sabha MPs,” he said.

The leader said the BJP will not become stronger because of other leaders joining the party. “How will our party grow if 10 leaders who lost the elections join us? They are coming to save their own political future,” he said. His remarks assume significance in the wake of a recent statement by Sujana Chowdary, one of the Rajya Sabha members who crossed over to the BJP from the TDP in June. Ms Chowdary had said that if Mr Naidu had any proposal to work with the BJP, he would to talk to the BJP leadership.