Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today.Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and a concurrent state poll in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his rival Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu are engaging with the BJP for a potential alliance. While N Chandrababu Naidu met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP leader JP Nadda on Wednesday, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today.
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 Telugu Desam Party (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 JanaSena 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.
Currently, Reddy’s meeting with PM Modi appears to focus on discussing the Special Category status for Andhra Pradesh—a longstanding demand of his YSR Congress Party and the TDP—central funds, and other issues. But political experts view it to be much more than that.
Any potential understanding between the BJP and either the YSRCP or the TDP, which has aligned with actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena in the state, a member of the BJP-led national alliance, is likely to be informal. A formal alliance with either party will present its own challenges, particularly concerning seat-sharing. Neither the YSRCP nor the TDP would be keen on ceding seats to the BJP, which is a non-performer in the state.
Given its past electoral performance and recent defeat in neighboring Telangana, the BJP may not hold a strong bargaining position. Consequently, a behind-the-scenes agreement seems more plausible. Chandrababu Naidu’s is facing legal challenges, prompting his inclination towards aligning with the ruling party at the Center. However, the likelihood of Naidu garnering BJP’s support appears lower compared to his state rival, due to his history of leaving the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance twice before, which may strengthen Reddy’s position.
Within the BJP, there’s a divide regarding the party’s approach in Andhra Pradesh. While one faction, including state unit leader Daggubati Purandeswari, advocates for an alliance, another faction sees going solo as an opportunity to establish a stronger presence in the state. This stance is influenced by the Congress’s efforts to revive its standing in the state, banking on Reddy’s sister, YS Sharmila, who was recently appointed as the party’s state chief.