TDP almost in NDA fold

Vijayawada/New Delhi: The nearly one-hour-long late-night meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in New Delhi on Wednesday seems to have paved the way for the re-entry of the TDP into the NDA fold.

Naidu who returned to Hyderabad on Thursday was to meet Pawan Kalyan to discuss the outcome of the meeting and to work out a proposal for seat sharing. It is learnt that Pawn would meet Naidu on Friday and go to Delhi later.

Sources said that by and large both the BJP and TDP have come to a broader agreement on the issue of seat sharing as well but the details would be worked out in consultation with the Jana Sena chief. The general expectation is that the TDP would on its own contest in about 140 seats while the BJP and Jana Sena together would get about 30 Assembly seats.

The general expectation is that the notification for the Assembly polls would be announced after the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha, sources said.

It is learnt that the issue of how to explain to the people of Andhra Pradesh that the BJP was extending government to government support only and not political support also figured in the meeting Naidu had with Amit Shah. Though there is no confirmation from either the BJP or the TDP, sources said that in all probability Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address about five to six public meetings in the state and give assurances on developing Amaravati as capital, extending all help in completing the Polavaram project and perhaps a decision to merge Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with SAIL and sanctioning of a Railway zone.