Port Blair, First Step Towards Old Friendship?

The TDP and BJP alliance has scored victory in Port Blair Municipal Council election. None other than BJP national president JP Nadda officially congratulated the alliance for their victory. Though BJP and TDP are old friends and formed alliance in the past and later divided, this new teaming up is likely to change several political equations.

If BJP and TDP form alliance nationally, they are going to contest together in the Telugu states where TDP has a good base. This is why BJP would have struck its alliance with the TDP. This is sending strong signals to BJP leadership in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana that TDP is going to be its ally in the coming general elections.

BJP in Telangana wants to defeat KCR who is trying his best to get into national politics and changed his party’s name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Since BJP doesn’t want to take any chances in Telangana, it needs a strong ally like TDP which has strong BC support in Telangana. BJP is clearly eyeing this voter base of Telangana TDP. Though the leaders have quit TDP, it still has its presence in Telangana and its cadre is huge.

Chandrababu Naidu has an unsettled score with KCR who had given him a return gift earlier in 2019. Naidu wants to make it difficult for KCR and hence decided to join forces with the Modi-Shah combine.

On the other hand, TDP-BJP alliance is going to change equations in Andhra Pradesh where ruling party YSRCP is trying its best to woo the BJP. TDP needs to defeat Jagan for its survival. By striking an alliance with BJP, TDP feels it adds to its muscle. This in turn also influences Pawan Kalyan’s Janasena to join the alliance since all the single motto is to defeat the Jagan government. This is going to be a huge setback to YSRCP and Jagan whose initial survey reports are negative if opposition parties form an alliance.

Overall, the BJP-TDP alliance in Port Blair is certainly bringing headache to KCR and Jagan. It could be TDP’s double blow to its enemies Jagan and KCR.