Alliance in trouble as Chandrababu Naidu feels BJP candidates `weak` in Andhra Pradesh

Zee Media Bureau/Deepak Nagpal

Hyderabad: The TDP-BJP alliance in Andhra Pradesh appears to be in trouble less than a fortnight after being stitched together. The TDP leadership is reported to have warned the BJP that it may end the alliance in Seemandhara and contest all the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats there on its own. However, the alliance would remain intact in Telangana. The alliance is in trouble mainly over two reasons – first, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu believes that the BJP has fielded “weak” candidates in one Parliamentary and six Assembly constituencies, and second, he is insistent on holding rallies with BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Seemandhra. Naidu is reported to be of the view that TDP candidates would have a better chance of winning than the “weak” candidates fielded by the BJP. Naidu is also opposed to the BJP move of giving ticket to former Union minister and her sister -in-law D Purandeswari, who recently quit the Congress to join the saffron party. According to sources, Naidu, who is married to Purandeswari`s sister, is miffed at nomination to her from Rajampeta Lok Sabha seat after shifting her from Visakhapatnam seat. "How will they win the Assembly seats? It will only be detrimental to our alliance," Naidu reportedly said. "If they put up such weak candidates, it will only benefit the rival parties and weaken the alliance. It will also impact our prospects in the Lok Sabha elections," he added. The BJP is said to have agreed to part with two Assembly seats, out of the 14 allotted to it as part of the alliance, and also agreed to change its candidates in two places. The BJP, meanwhile, has rushed its senior leader Prakash Javadekar to Hyderabad to make peace with Naidu. Javadekar has already discussed the issue with TDP MP Y Satyanarayana Chowdary. "The alliance will remain and there is no question of breaking it," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said. TDP and BJP leaders will hold another round of talks today to end the stalemate as the deadline for filing nominations for the May 7 elections ends tomorrow.