Hyderabad: The TDP - BJP alliance in Andhra Pradesh is on the rocks. The family feud of Telugu cinema legend and former chief minister N T Ramarao is the main reason for the near collapse of the alliance. Their family drama is once again being played out in Andhra Pradesh.
The TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is upset with the BJP for fielding his wife's younger sister and former union minister D Purandeshwari from Rajampet in Seemandhra. Purandeshwari has just defected to the BJP from the Congress. But, Naidu is not upset over a defector getting the BJP ticket. His own party is also full of defectors from the Congress.
NTR's two sons in law Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Duggubati Venkateshwara Rao hate each other. They have been in the opposite camps for over 25 years. Purandeshwari feels that her brother in law Chandrababu Naidu has usurped her father's legacy and she has been attacking him for over two decades.
Their relationship is strained beyond repair. Chandrababu entered into an electoral alliance with the BJP 10 years after he walked out of the NDA. There was a lot of dilly-dallying before he forged it. He was hoping to cash in on the perceived Narendra Modi wave in urban areas of AP, mainly in Telangana.
Naidu is fighting a 'do or die' battle with his arch rival the YSRCP chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in AP and the Congress - TRS in Telangana.
According to top sources in the TDP, the BJP had assured him that it would not give ticket to Purandeshwari before the deal with the TDP was sealed. But, it shocked the TDP by fielding her from Rajampet. It has angered Naidu and his TDP cadre.
One more reason is consolidation of Muslim and Christian votes against the TDP across AP and Telangana. Some political observers in AP feel that Naidu has now developed cold feet.
The BJP has always been a marginal player in AP politics. Its vote share in Seemandhra is less than 7-8 per cent. Since the BJP fully backed the Congress in the Parliament over Telangana Bill, both the parties are being seen as betrayers by the voters in Seemandhra. Jaganmohan Reddy is also making it a big issue in his poll campaign. Naidu is also worried about this factor going against him in the election.
The TDP cadre in Seemandhra claims that the BJP may lose all five Lok Sabha seats and two dozen odd Assembly seats it got from the TDP to the YSRCP. Jaganmohan Reddy has shocked the TDP by fielding his mother Y S Vijayamma from Visakhapatnam, earlier held by Purandeshwari on the Congress ticket. Vijayamma's candidature is likely to have an impact on at least 5-6 Lok Sabha seats in that region.
The BJP is trying to save the alliance and it's in-charge for AP Prakash Javadekar is holding talks with the TDP chief. Even if they manage to save the alliance, it may not remain strong as the public fight has already caused much damage.
The TDP and the BJP workers are also viewing each other with suspicion. They may damage each other's chances in many Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across Andhra Pradesh.
This sudden development is a boon for Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as the Congress is not even in the race in Seemandhra.
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