BJP-TDP alliance to continue in Seemandhra

Seemandhra: The alliance between the BJP and the TDP in Seemandhra will continue as the two parties, on Friday ironed out their differences.

After prolong talks with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesman Prakash Javadekar announced that their alliance will continue. He said the BJP will give up one assembly seat earlier allotted to it and the TDP will give it three seats in the legislative council. The BJP will now contest 13 assembly and four Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra. BJP Seemandhra chief K. Haribabu said the TDP agreed to give three legislative council seats to the BJP.

Under the seat sharing agreement, the TDP had originally left 15 assembly and five Lok Sabha seats for its national partner. However, due to differences over the choice of seats, the TDP reduced the number to 14 assembly and four Lok Sabha. The latest row led to the BJP giving up another assembly seat on the assurance that it will get three seats in the upper house. The BJP has also reportedly agreed to change three candidates as the TDP found them weak.

Javadekar, who is incharge of BJP affairs in Andhra Pradesh, met Naidu at the latter's residence. He again held talks with TDP leaders K. Rammohan Rao and Sujana Chowdary at the residence of senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu. Naidu had stated Thursday that the alliance is proving costly for the TDP as the BJP has fielded weak candidates.

The former chief minister reportedly is miffed with the BJP for fielding his estranged sister-in-law D. Purandeswari for Lok Sabha from Rajampet. Purandeswari quit Congress last week and joined the BJP. She, however, was not given ticket from Visakhapatnam, from where she was elected in 2009.

The TDP chief is also upset over the BJP ignoring Raghuram Krishnam Raju, a businessman considered close to him. Naidu wanted the national party to give him ticket for Narsapur Lok Sabha seat. Raju Thursday filed nominations from the same constituency as a candidate of both TDP and BJP and also as an independent.

Under the alliance, the TDP has allocated eight Lok Sabha and 47 assembly seats in Telangana for the BJP.

Seemandhra, which has 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats, is going to polls May 7. Saturday is the last day for filing nominations.