BJP leaders pin hopes on Naidu

​New Delhi: Even as the crucial NDA meet gets underway here on Monday, all eyes would be on N Chandrababu Naidu once again. No doubt, the BJP's allies, numbering about a score and a half, would largely be guided by the preferences of the BJP president Amit Shah and the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

A confident BJP leadership is quite comfortably placed in dealing with the allies now, despite Shiv Sena playing truant of late unable to counter BJP’s growing influence in its own backyard.

Shiv Sena is the biggest ally of the BJP with 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha. Naidu’s TDP is next to it with 16 in the Lok Sabha and six in the Rajya Sabha.

This places him in a formidable position at the high table and he will be in a position to influence the BJP’s position on several aspects like the future strategy, Cabinet reshuffle, Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections, etc, it is said.

It is learnt that while Naidu may not be interested in meddling in the Cabinet reshuffle,-expected to take place after the conclusion of the Parliament session, he certainly would have a say in the selection of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates.

Interestingly, the latest gossip making rounds is here is “if the President is from the North, why not a South Indian as the VP” though there seems to be strong reason to suggest so except for the fact that the general perception of the BJP being anti-South could force it to do so.

The ‘South-bound BJP’ needs to placate Southerners a lot, if it has to grow in South. It has just turned its focus South of Vindhyas and is desperate to grow considerably including in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This is where Naidu is to be of importance to the BJP in clinching the issue in case it plans to install a Southerner in the second highest office in the country.

It is said that Naidu may not seek change of subjects of the TDP ministers in the Centre, as he is quite happy with the key role they are playing in protecting and perpetuating the state's interests.
By and large he does not have any problem with the other members of the Cabinet too and hence is not much worried about the Cabinet reshuffle that Modi is planning.

A couple of TDP MPs, however, suggest that Naidu could, perhaps, seek an additional berth in the Cabinet.

Naidu is known to love his role as a game changer at the Centre and often proclaimed that he played key role in the selection of late Abdul Kalam as the President in the past.

On Monday, Naidu visited BJP president Amit Shah and met the Union Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu amid intense speculation over L K Advani's prospects as the Presidential candidate. The grapevine also has it that it could be a SC candidate like Tawar Chand Gehlot or the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

A section of the BJP also quips, “Why not continue Pranab Mukherjee? After all he has been playing a positive role in every issue including warning the Congress against disruptions in the House.”

The BJP is likely to arrive at a consensus, first within the NDA over all these issues and then seek the shortfall, if any in support from those regional parties playing it neutral like the TRS, JD (U), BJD and even TMC, which of late is said to be mellowing despite the unpredictability of its chief, Mamata Bernerjee.