TDP, BJP, Jana Sena to form alliance in next Telangana Assembly polls?

HYDERABAD: Jana Sena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked speculation not only in Andhra Pradesh but in Telangana political circles. Coming as it does in the backdrop of reports that Jana Sena, BJP and TDP are likely to join hands for Assembly elections in both the States, the meeting assumes significance since Pawan is seen as the crucial link between the BJP and the TDP as he has good relations with both.

As of now, there is no formal alliance between the TDP and the BJP but the latter is sailing with Jana Sena in Andhra. Pawan’s meeting also comes close on the heels of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s call to former party leaders in Telangana to ‘return home’ so that the party could stand on its feet once again in the State. Naidu has renewed his focus on Telangana after several years and, political observers point out at the timing of Pawan’s meeting with Modi. State BJP leaders say that the party high command will take a call on alliances in Telangana and Andhra.

BJP had an alliance with the TDP till 2014 in Telangana but later, the yellow party almost disintegrated in the State. In the elections to the GHMC, the BJP leaders had persuaded Pawan to withdraw from the fray.
On the other hand, Telangana TDP leaders strongly believe that the party's high command is likely to go for an alliance with the BJP and Jana Sena in the State for the coming Assembly and general elections.

The leaders say the party has five to eight per cent vote share across the State and a stronghold in Khammam as well as in several Assembly segments in Greater Hyderabad. They are of the view that if it contests in alliance with other parties, the anti-incumbency votes would not be split. The BJP and TDP contested together in 2014 but in 2018, the BJP had gone alone as the TDP joined hands with the Congress. In 2014, the TDP got 15% vote share and won 15 Assembly seats. The BJP had only a seven per cent share and won five seats.

In 2018, the TDP allied with the Congress and won two seats and got only a three per cent share. The BJP contested alone and won only one seat, and secured a seven per cent share. In 2014, the TDP contested 72 Assembly seats and the BJP 45. Both together secured 22 per cent of the vote share. The BJP’s vote share in the 2018 Assembly election did not improve.

In this backdrop, the debate after the Munugode result and the latest political developments are centred around a possible alliance among the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena. Pawan Kalyan recently announced that his party would contest 35 Assembly and five parliamentary seats in Telangana. If alliance discussions come to fruition, the BJP is likely to contest 70 seats, the TDP and Jana Sena 10-15 each, sources in the BJP said.