TDP explores ways for poll alliance?

TDP leaders are understood to have come to a conclusion that alliances with other parties are necessary if they want to win comfortable number of seats in the next general elections.

 A debate is going on in TDP circles that the party has to fight it out alone or to team up with any other party. 

A section of the leaders are ready to propose the party chief about going for alliance for winning majority of seats to the Parliament and the Assembly. They strongly felt that a decision has to be taken before Mahanadu, party’s conclave to be held on May 28, also the birth anniversary of party’s founder N T Rama Rao.  

Some leaders from Seemandhra, however, are pitching in for having tie-up with Congress, while the other leaders from Telangana are strongly in favour of BJP. They point out that the Modi factor may benefit the party as it was trounced in the last two general elections even having poll alliances. As the party faced debacle even in the by-elections, the party leaders are searching for options left to have alliances to face Jagan factor in the State.

Telugu Desam party witnessed a sort of uncertainty for the last two years in the political arena as its all hopes have been shattered with massive migrations either to YSRCP or to TRS. Believing that the party has no future, many leaders are ready to jump the wall and are waiting for an opportunity. Gangula Kamalakar, senior TDP leader and MLA from Karimnagar joined TRS in the presence of KCR. The Desam leaders strongly felt that it is a need of the hour to have alliances with other parties especially in view of possible formation of Third Front at the Centre. 

But the mute question is that which group will take the lead at the Centre the UPA or BJP-led NDA?  The party leaders want Chandrababu Naidu to decide which group the party has to follow if Third Front is not possible before the Mahanadu conclave. 

Third Front a mirage for now!

Chandrababu Naidu had been in the fore front to form the United Front, the third front formed with non-Congress and non-BJP parties, but now all such ideas have taken a back seat. The priority is to strengthen the party in the state which had tasted a humiliating defeat in the past two general elections.  The party should seriously think about winning some credible number of seats in the State, said one of the senior leaders in the party on the condition of anonymity. It will be a suicidal to go in for elections alone, without forming alliance with either UPA or NDA at the centre. 

Many leaders favour Congress

The TDP leaders from Seemandhra expressed their strong conviction for having an alliance with Congress. With the intimacy Chandrababu Naidu has with some leaders in the Congress high command, it will be not a big task for him to make a deal. There are two types of arguments - one is to have alliance before the elections and the other is to have after the elections. TDP leaders are of the opinion that the alliance with Congress should be for Assembly seats in lieu of parliament seats for TDP in the State. 

Telangana TDP leaders prefer BJP as ally

However, TDP party leaders from Telangana strongly oppose the alliance with Congress as they fear that UPA Govt’s lopsided policies during the nine-year rule may be detrimental to the interests of the party.  They point out that the popularity of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi along with BJP’s commitment towards Telangana statehood may yield good results in the region. They quote the statement by Yerraballi Dayakar Rao, convener of Telangana TDP Forum recently as a feeler that alliance with BJP alone would bring electoral benefits to TDP both in coastal and Telangana regions.

-Sakshipost