NDA finalises seat-sharing in Andhra Pradesh: BJP gets 6 LS, 10 assembly seats; TDP 17 and 144

Hyderabad: After almost eight hours of brainstorming Opposition alliance partners in Andhra Pradesh finalised seat sharing on Monday.

While BJP will contest in 6 Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats. JanaSena will contest in 2 Lok Sabha and 21 assembly seats. TDP will contest in remaining 17 Lok Sabha seats and 144 assembly seats.

It was last Saturday that BJP, TDP and Jana Sena had announced that they will fight ensuing elections for assembly and Lok Sabha together to take on the ruling YSRCP.

In continuation of the talks on seat sharing, union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and BJP senior leader Jay Panda reached Andhra Pradesh and held discussions with TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena supremo Pawan Kalyan.

Last week a joint statement issued from the BJP's central office that had announced the alliance had pointed out that seat sharing will be finalised in a day or two. As the poll schedule is expected to be out in the next few days, BJP had deployed Shekhawat and Panda to hold discussions and decide on the seats of both Lok Sabha and Assembly that BJP would contest.

While it is learnt that BJP would contest in six Lok Sabha and six assembly segments the number of assembly seats now BJP would contest went upto 10. “The names of the seats will be announced subsequently by the respective parties. We are driven by a desire to fulfil the expectations of the people of Andra Pradesh. We are confident that the people of Andhra Pradesh will bless the NDA alliance partners with an opportunity to serve them to the best of our capabilities,” said a statement from Naidu’s office.

Following the meeting between the three parties in Delhi, where an alliance was formalised, a meeting was held at Amaravati on Monday. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat, BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda, TDP National President Nara Chandrababu Naidu and JSP President Pawn Kalyan participated in this meeting.

The meeting sought to forge a formidable combination of seats for every alliance partner that truly represents the people of Andra Pradesh and their aspirations. All parties agreed to make the interests of the State and its future the utmost priority and key driving factor of the seat-sharing discussion. We hope this will lay the foundation for a bright and progressive state, further said the statement.