The AP BJP leaders are following a wait and watch policy towards their ally, Pawan Kalyan of Jana Sena, who wanted a grand alliance to defeat the YSR Congress. Pawan Kalyan spoke aggressively at his party’s formation day on March 14 indicating that he would work for a grand alliance in the state ahead of 2024 elections.
He emphasised the need for all the opposition parties to remain united and ensure that the anti-incumbency vote is not divided. This would mean that he wanted the BJP, TDP and the Communist Parties too to forge an alliance.
The Left parties are ready for alliance either with the TDP or the Jana Sena or even join the grand alliance of the TDP and Jana Sena. However, they are not ready to be part of the alliance if the BJP is also part of it.
Even the BJP leadership is not ready to align with the TDP taking into account Chandrababu Naidu’s political work before the 2019 elections. Naidu had even aligned with the Congress openly declaring that he would work to defeat the BJP.
Though the TDP leaders are strongly lobbying in Delhi for alliance with the BJP, the top leadership, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Sha are not ready to share the dais with Chandrababu Naidu.
According to sources, the BJP leaders are comfortable with Jagan Mohan Reddy, though he is not an ally. Jagan Mohan Reddy is neither an ally of BJP nor a rival. He has been extending support to the BJP in Parliament politics whenever required. Thus the BJP leaders see no threat from Jagan, even if he wins all 25 Parliament seats in the next elections.
In this backdrop, the State BJP leaders are waiting for Pawan Kalyan to take a call on alliance. They are watching the actor-turned-politician whether he would stay with them or would break the alliance and go with the TDP.
