BJP deal only to keep Congress out
Somireddy chandramohan Reddy, Politburo member of TDP
BJP has fielded weak candidates in many segments and it is now the Telugu Desam’s responsibility to ensure their victory. Unfortunately, the BJP demanded seats where the TD is strong and this led to some heartburn among our cadres.
TD was keen on a tie-up at the national level to protect the interests of the state and also to keep the Congress away. Though we had an alliance with the BJP in the past, the ties were snapped after the 2004 polls.
The recent developments BJP emerging as an alternative to Congress and CPM planning to tie-up with Jagan Mohan Reddy led us to opt for an alliance with the BJP. The BJP also needs an alliance with a strong leader like Chandrababu Naidu. But BJP Telangana president Kishan Reddy was against the pact.
As per surveys, there is hardly any strength left in the BJP in the Seemandhra region. It is in a slightly better position in the Telangana region. The party doesn’t have an organised network like the Telugu Desam in all the 294 Assembly segments of the state.
Results of panchayat elections show our network in the grass-roots level. The BJP could not even field candidates in all the places for panchayats and local bodies. However, it demanded seats where the TD is strong in a bid to utilise TD’s potential for its benefit.
TD activists have to work day and night to help the BJP win in these seats. We have no other option, since the alliance means give-and-take. There is no doubt about the “Narendra Modi impact”, but it will add only three to four per cent to our existing vote bank. We are worried about the setbacks in the seats allotted to the BJP.
However, some sacrifices are necessary to keep the corrupt Congress out of power. Migration of some strong Congress leaders has helped us strengthen our base. Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party is inconsistent in alliance. So, we took a stand to go with BJP and we are committed to it.
Desam is flouting alliance ethics
S. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha State President
UPA government, which has been in power from 2004 to 2014, has been mired in corruption cases and scams both at the state and Central levels. So welfare of people has been completely neglected by the Congress-led UPA government. That is why people of the state are against the Congress government and its rules.
At this moment, the state has been bifurcated and election notification has been given in both the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. So the elections are crucial both for local and Central political parties of India.
The BJP’s main motto is development and it wants to rid the nation of the Congress. It wants to go for the polls individually and if any party wants to work with the BJP, it would tie up with it in the elections for the sake of good governance.
Politics in Andhra Pradesh is different from politics in other states. Therefore, the BJP has decided to have an alliance with a local party, the TD, in the interest of both the states and the nation.
Though the TD accepted the proposal of the BJP to work together in this election, it is not being very ethical. The party did the same thing in previous elections. The BJP found out that B-forms were given to TD rebels in the past. The same thing is being repeated now, which is unacceptable to both BJP and TD insiders.
TD confirmed that 27 Assembly tickets were given to BJP because of the alliance. But, it has not following the ethics of alliance, which will only strengthen the YSRC. TD lost its moral values, whenever it criticised the BJP. We can understand the TD’s strategy to win the election on Mr Modi’s name and fame.
Today, people of the state are looking for stable government and good leadership. Famous cine stars like Pawan Kalyan and Nagarjuna, who have mass fan-following in both the states, are openly supporting Mr Modi. Other cine stars like Jeevitha Rajashekar, Shivaji, Suresh, Shivaji Raja have also joined the BJP.
