It appears Telugu Desam Party chief and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is getting ready with his “Plan B” in the event of failure of talks with Jana Sena Party led by Pawan Kalyan and Bharatiya Janata Party for an alliance in the next assembly elections in the state.
It was evident from Naidu’s call to his party leaders and cadre at the TDP’s extended executive committee meeting held at Amaravati on Monday.
He told the party leaders to be prepared to contest all the 175 assembly seats in the state and strive to win all of them.
“The party should win all the 175 assembly seats. The TDP leaders should strive in this direction and take full responsibility to achieve victory. We all should work for the welfare of the State and for the future generations," Naidu said.
The TDP chief asked the party activists to visit every doorstep to have first-hand information on the public issues and submit a report to the party. Depending on their reports the party manifesto will be prepared, he said and felt that the coming seven months are very crucial for the TDP.
Naidu’s statement made one wonder whether he has any doubts over seat sharing with Jana Sena Party or the BJP. Apparently, he doesn’t want to have any confusion in the event of a last-minute breakdown in talks with the two parties.
At the same time, it might also be a strategy to counter the criticism from the ruling YSR Congress party led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy that the TDP was going in for alliance, because it doesn’t have candidates to field in all the 175 constituencies.
“This can also be a sort of mind game to counter the YSRC. When Jagan can give a “why not 175?” call to the party leaders, Naidu also want to counter it with the same slogan,” a TDP leader said.
