As the AP elections approach, there’s great anticipation surrounding the alliances. Meanwhile, the interesting news is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, TDP President Chandrababu Naidu, and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan will share a platform in Chilakaluripet on March 17, marking a decade since their last joint appearance. This collaboration aims to kickstart their campaign for Andhra assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
The upcoming public meeting in Palnadu district will be the first of its kind for these three parties since forming an electoral alliance. Chandrababu Naidu and PM Modi had not shared a public stage since the TDP’s exit from the BJP-led NDA in 2018. Pawan Kalyan had previously addressed a public meeting with PM Modi in November 2023 before the Telangana Assembly elections.
The last time TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP joined forces on stage was in 2014. Although Jana Sena didn’t contest, Pawan Kalyan actively campaigned for the TDP-BJP alliance in Andhra Pradesh after the state’s bifurcation.
Efforts are underway to make the March 17 public meeting a resounding success as TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh oversees the arrangements. The recently announced seat-sharing agreement designates 144 out of 175 Assembly seats and 17 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats for TDP. Jana Sena will contest 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP will field candidates in 10 Assembly and six Lok Sabha constituencies.
This agreement follows an eight-hour-long discussion among the leaders of the three parties at Chandrababu Naidu’s residence in Undavalli. The TDP-BJP alliance previously secured 106 seats in the 2014 elections, forming the government. However, differences arose over the special category status for Andhra Pradesh, leading to their split in 2018.
In the 2019 elections, the TDP, BJP, and JSP contested separately, with the YSR Congress emerging victorious. TDP won 23 seats, JSP secured one, and BJP drew a blank, while the YSR Congress dominated with 22 Lok Sabha seats. The political landscape continues to evolve as these alliances reunite for the upcoming elections.
