Hyderabad: While agreeing for an alliance with the BJP in both Telangana and Seemandhra, the Telugu Desam leadership, however, seems to have decided to play spoilsport by refusing to concede Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada Lok Sabha seats to the BJP from where former Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari and BJP Seemandhra president Kambhampati Haribabu aim to contest.
While the Seemandhra BJP had insisted on Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Narsapuram, Vijayawada, Nellore and Tirupati or Rajampet, the TDP leadership has turned down their preference and, instead, offered Araku (reserved for STs) in lieu of Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, Narsapuram, Rajampet and Chittoor (reserved for SCs).
They have refused to grant Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry Lok Sabha seats claiming that the TDP is stronger than the BJP in those segments.
Since both Ms Purandeswari and Mr Haribabu are from the dominating Kamma community, they cannot contest from seats other than Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
When contacted, Mr Haribabu said, “I am not aware of the latest position; we have told our party central committee regarding what we want, I don’t think our party leaders will agree to anything that is against the wishes of the state party leadership; let us see what happens.”
