TDP-Congress alliance & Changing equations on tickets

Now it is almost confirmed that TDP and Congress will have alliance in AP as well in the upcoming 2019 elections. Even though the outcome of 2018 Telangana elections will have an impact on whether to continue the alliance in 2019 or not, it is more or less confirmed that TDP needs alliance with Congress as it has burnt all bridges with BJP already. However, it seems because of this alliance, equations are changing in TDP as well as Congress party as leaders in both party are now worrying about whether they will get tickets or not in 2019.

No increase of seats in AP assembly itself is an issue for TDP:

Already, it has been a troublesome condition for TDP as many leaders from other parties like YSRCP and Congress defected into ruling TDP post 2014 elections, expecting there will be increase of seats in AP assembly by 2019. But that estimation gone totally wrong and now BJP led union government is in no mood to increase the seats in AP assembly. So the revision of constituencies will happen only in 2026 as it was already scheduled. So, until then there will be no increase in number of seats but now TDP, in more than 20 constituencies, has 2 strong leaders – one, who contested but lost in 2014 and the other one – who won on YSRCP ticket and defected into TDP. While adjusting seats to all those who defected into TDP itself is an issue, adding salt to wound, TDP-Congress alliance brought in even more aspirants for the same constituencies.

Now even more aspirants after TDP-Congress alliance:

Now, after the alliance, Congress leaders also want TDP to leave some constituencies to them as part of the alliance. So, for single constituency, now there will be one leader, who is originally from TDP, one leader from YSRCP who defected into TDP after 2014 and one former MLA/MP from Congress party. Adjusting seats is going to be really a nightmare for TDP in 2019.

Specific Examples:

For example, in Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, BT Naidu contested from TDP but lost it to Butta Renuka of YSRCP. Both of them still aspiring for the same seat in 2019. Now, there is high probability that this seat may actually go to former union minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy of Congress, who is actually more senior than the other two and also stronger than them (except for bifurcation effect). Similarly, in Paderu assembly constituency, Giddi Eswari also facing similar issue as Butta Renuka. She also defected from YSRCP into but now former minister Bala Raju from Congress is expecting this ticket. Similarly Pallam raju, former union minister of cabinet rank, Pallam Raju is now expecting Kakinada seat, which he won several times in the past and TDP sitting MP Thota narasimham needs to be adjusted for another seat by TDP supremo. There are several prominent leaders in Congress who are still with the party and they are expecting tickets – like Kiran Kumar Reddy, Kishore Chandra Dev, T. Subbi Rami Reddy etc.

We will have to wait and see how this tough-nut will be cracked.

-ZURAN (@CriticZuran)