In an obvious bid to strengthen ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam Party president and Chief Minister designate of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu is understood to have decided leave the lone Rajya Sabha seat to the national party.
Elections to a few Rajya Sabha seats would be held in the third week of June; it includes the seat in Seemandhra which fell vacant following the death of former Chief Minister Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy.
The seat would have been won easily by the TDP as the Congress does not have any representation in Seemandhra Assembly; but Naidu has decided to leave it to the BJP.
Sources said the gesture was to forge good relations with the Modi government to ensure proper release of funds for the development of the new State. Of course, Naidu in return is expecting two to three more berths in the Union Cabinet. He reportedly asked his party MPs to work in coordination with NDA leaders, particularly BJP.
