Has the proposed Pawan Kalyan-Modi meet poured cold water on the well-laid out plans of Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh? Will the Jana Sena-BJP alliance stay and will Chandrababu’s attempt to cobble up an alliance with the Jana Sena come unstuck? Or is this meeting a prelude to the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena alliance?
Speculations are rife that Jana Sena may continue with the BJP and this could affect the TDP plans to mobilise Kapu votes in its favour. Modi is likely to impress upon Pawan the need to continue the alliance. Sources say that the BJP is not in favour of an alliance with the TDP, which has rubbed it the wrong way in the past.
The BJP has not forgotten the insults heaped on it by the TDP. The PM’s visit to AP was opposed and Amit Shah was physically attacked during his tour of Tirupati. The TDP also tried to prevent CBI and ED raids in Andhra Pradesh. To top these, the TDP allegedly funded the Congress in the assembly elections ahead of the 2019 general elections. The BJP is in no mood to relent.
Hence the proposed Pawan-Modi meet has become politically very significant. What comes out of these meetings is all set to impact AP politics. It could affect the TDP’s prospects in the 2019 elections. Amid the talk that these could be the last elections for Chandrababu Naidu, political watchers are observing the meeting very keenly.