Vijayawada: BJP seals tie-up with TDP-JSP

Vijayawada/New Delhi : The fast-paced developments both politically and administratively seemto be pushing the YSRCP into a state of nervousness though on the face of it they claim that they have 50 seats edge over their rivals.

While the BJP has sealed the alliance with the TDP-JSP combine on Friday, it is learnt that the Election Commission of India is of the view that the polls in Andhra Pradesh should be held in a single phase. It is also of the view that the poll schedule be announced on March 13 or 14.

It may be recalled that the YSRCP had represented to the ECI to hold the elections in three phases. The ECI feels that the election in three or four phases is generally held in places like Northeast or places where the movement of Central forces from one place to another takes time. But in Andhra Pradesh, there is no such situation and hence polls should be held in a single phase as it had done in 2019.

Meanwhile, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan will be meeting senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah again on Saturday to discuss the assurances the BJP should be making to enable transfer of votes to the BJP.

All the three parties followed the principle of maximum strike rate and winning chances and hence have come to an agreement that the BJP and Jana Sena will get 30 Assembly seats and eight Lok Sabha seats.

While the BJP would be contesting from Rajahmundry, Narsapuram, Araku, Tirupati and Rajampet Lok Sabha seats, Jana Sena will put up candidates in Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Anakapalli. As far as Narsapuram is concerned, Raghuramakrishna Raju who had revolted against the YSRCP and was arrested would be BJP candidate.

The TDP sources said that Naidu and Pawan would return to Amaravati on Saturday and will finalise the names of candidates. The second list is likely to be announced either on Monday or Tuesday.