Chandrababu Naidu, a leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, thinks the TDP will rejoin the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) soon. When asked about a possible alliance with the BJP, Naidu said, “It is a matter of time.” Naidu supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and wants to work for the country’s development. He also praised the Prime Minister for boosting India’s profile internationally. However, the TDP had issues with the Special Category sentiment for Andhra Pradesh.
The TDP formed a government with the BJP and Janasena in 2014 after Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated into two states. The TDP accused the Congress of making a mistake in the bifurcation. But before the 2019 elections, the friendship between TDP and BJP faded as Pawan Kalyan accused Chandrababu and his son Lokesh of corruption. YS Jagan, who was in opposition then, campaigned for funds for development in the state. Sensing the electorate’s sentiments, TDP withdrew its alliance with BJP in March 2018.
Naidu has regretted leaving the alliance and said that his party disagreed with the NDA government only for the state’s benefit but it turned out to be a loss for the party. In 2019, YS Jagan’s party won many seats and grew close to BJP leaders and Prime Minister Modi.
Political analysts believe that BJP’s support is necessary for TDP to defeat Jagan’s YSRCP in the state.
