Lok Sabha Elections 2014: Deadlock Continues over BJP-TDP Seat Sharing in AP

Deadlock was continuing on seat sharing talks between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. However, both the parties have not categorically declared a staunch "No" for a tie-up in the election to Lok Sabha and State Assembly to be held simultaneously on 30 April and 7 May, 2014. 

Andhra Pradesh has 294 Assembly and 42 Lok Sabha seats. 

The talks were held between TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and BJP's senior leader and spokesperson Prakash Javadekar in Hyderabad. Certain reports say that Naidu offered 35 Assembly seats and seven Lok Sabha seats to BJP in Telangana for 119 Assembly seats and 17 Lok Sabha seats in the region. In Seemandhra, TDP offered three Lok Sabha seats and 10 Assembly seats for 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats. For the TDP's offer, BJP was not compromising. 

Media reports suggest that both the parties are still keen on the poll tie-up in Seemandhra and Telangana, but could not reach a point of compromise in the seat sharing. Hence BJP might be deputing another senior leader to settle the hard bargaining with TDP. 

BJP Telangana unit president G Kishan Reddy stated that the party will contest the polls alone in the AP's 10 district region. But he was quick to add that the talks have not come to an end. "We have decided to go alone, but if our central leadership wishes, they can have further talks with TDP for an alliance," NDTV quoted Kishan Reddy.

It is evident that TDP is getting stronger in Seemandhra and BJP has an edge over TDP in Telangana, since it supported the cause of Telangana state formation and aided the Union government to pass the bill in the Parliament. 

While TDP feels that BJP is not so strong in Seemandhra, BJP says that TDP is being perceived as anti-Telangana, as the party chief Naidu advocated for united Andhra Pradesh, though later he relented in his persistence when the Telangana bill was passed in the Parliament. On these two grounds, the two parties were seen bargaining to get as many seats as possible to contest in alliance in the polls. 

Even the Congress in Telangana has not finalized an election alliance with any party yet. Congress Telangana unit president Ponnala Lakshmaiah was scheduled to go to Delhi to discuss with party high command about seat-sharing with CPI.

The party's Seemandhra unit president Raghuveera Reddy and campaign committee chief Chiranjeevi are conducting road-shows to mobilize voter support for the party.