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Chandrababu Naidu's meeting with Amit Shah sparks talks in political circles

Naidu flew down to Delhi on June 3 to hold parleys with top BJP leadership and returned to Vijaywada early Sunday morning
Last Updated 05 June 2023, 02:08 IST

The outcome of the recent Karnataka polls seems to have had a spill-over effect on neighboring Telangana and Andhra Pradesh politics as key players revisit the drawing board to evaluate their positions ahead of the elections to the two state assemblies and Lok Sabha polls in the next twelve months.

The meeting between former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telegu Desam Party chief N Chandra Babu Naidu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday night is being closely watched in political circles for possible re-alignments in Telegu-speaking states. BJP President J P Nadda was also present when the BJP and TDP leaders met.

Mr. Naidu flew down to Delhi to hold parleys with top BJP leadership and returned to Vijaywada early Sunday morning.

A senior TDP MP who was aware of the developments remarked the interactions were “open to political speculation” but not much should be read into the developments at this point in time.

This is the first meeting between Naidu and Shah after a bitter parting of ways between the two parties in 2018 when TDP accused the Modi government of showing indifference towards the party’s demand for granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu, the main challenger to the CM Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government, has retained pockets of influence in Telangana as well. In the 2018 assembly elections, the party formed a grand alliance with Congress against K Chandrashekhar Rao’s BRS. The alliance flopped as Congress and the TDP managed to win just 19 and 2 seats, respectively, in the House of 119.

Congress’ comprehensive victory in the recent Karnataka polls may seem to have added a new dimension to the poll-bound states in the neighborhood, observed a BJP leader from Telangana.

“It’s too early to gauge the impact of Karnataka outcome. But Congress will not be found wanting on resources. The party still has cadre and leadership which can be activated”; he added.

Bracing for the next assembly elections, Naidu has been trying to mend ties with the BJP in the last twelve months. TDP, like YSRCP, did not join opposition parties in their boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Modi last month.

The BJP leadership, on the other hand, has so far consciously avoided a public display of détente between the two parties as it could send confusing signals to cadres and to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, which has come to the government’s aid on many occasions - especially in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling party lacks majority.

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(Published 04 June 2023, 15:27 IST)

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