If Alliance With TDP-JSP Fails… BJP ready with Plan ‘B’

Vijayawada: While the BJP national leadership is working on the issue of having an alliance with TDP-JSP combine in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and is likely to make a final announcement anytime next week, it is simultaneously working on Plan ‘B’ lest it may get caught on the wrong foot.

The party national leadership has reports that on its own it will not be able to win any seat in Andhra Pradesh for two reasons. One it does not have more than 0.2 percent of voter share and secondly, in the wake of the present mood of the people, alliance was necessary.

The party leadership had already sent senior leaders like Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders to talk to the state leaders and assess the ground situation. Along with the reports and opinions given by the state party, they submitted their detailed assessment report to the party national leadership.

Again, the party high command sent BJP joint national general secretary Shiv Prakash to Vijayawada and during the two-day meetings he had with the state leaders, he discussed the present political situation. These meetings also prepared a tentative list of aspirants for 175 Assembly constituencies and 25 Lok Sabha seats.

Talking to the media, state BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari said the party wants to be ready to contest all seats if need be. But if the national leadership decides to go in for poll alliance it would act accordingly. Since time was running out, they did not want to lag behind in keeping the list of probable candidates ready. Four to five names for each Lok Sabha constituency have been shortlisted and sent to Delhi. She said the BJP gives top priority to social engineering and the final selection would be based on this principle.