“Formidable Seat-Sharing Formula”: Chandrababu Naidu After NDA Finalises Deal In Amaravati

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) have finalised a seat-sharing formula. After calling the deal a “formidable seat-sharing formula,” TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu said “the people of Andhra Pradesh now stand on the threshold of reclaiming our State and paving the way for a brighter future”.

He also called upon the people of Andhra Pradesh “to shower their blessings upon this alliance, and grant us a historic mandate to serve them”.

The decision on the deal was announced in a joint statement issued after a meeting held at Amaravati.

The statement said the alliance aims to uplift the people of the state and contribute to the nation”s journey towards becoming a global leader.

The meeting, which followed an alliance formalisation gathering in Delhi, was attended by key leaders including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat, BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda, TDP National President Chandrababu Naidu, and JSP President Pawan Kalyan.

According to the seat-sharing formula, the allocation is as follows:

BJP: Parliament Seats – 6, Assembly Seats – 10
TDP: Parliament Seats – 17, Assembly Seats – 144
JSP: Parliament Seats – 2, Assembly Seats – 21

The names of the specific constituencies will be announced subsequently by the respective parties.

The TDP was part of the NDA until 2018 when Naidu, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, decided to withdraw over concerns regarding financial support for the state. Naidu had even joined hands with the Congress and shared dais in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi.

In 2019, the Lok Sabha elections witnessed the resounding triumph of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), securing 22 out of the 25 seats, relegating the TDP to merely three seats. The BJP and Congress failed to secure any seats in the state, underscoring the electorate’s inclination towards regional parties.

In the state elections, on the other hand, YSRCP secured 151 seats, TDP 23 seats, and Jana Sena one seat in the 175-member assembly. Despite contesting all 173 seats in the 2019 Assembly election, the BJP failed to secure a single seat in the state.