At a time when the TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu is dreaming of playing a key role in national politics once again by sailing with the BJP, his former colleague who is now with the BJP poured cold water on his ambitions.
The senior Telangana leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy made it clear that the BJP is not keen on having a tie-up with the TDP at this juncture.
"We are not ready for an alliance with the TDP," declared Nagam who was a key leader of TDP before walking out of the party on the Telangana statehood issue.
He is now with the saffron party and an aspirant for party ticket for Mahaboobnagar Lok Sabha constituency.
Nagam said that the TDP is yet to articulate a clear policy on the Telangana issue.
"Naidu is still evasive on the issue and still indulging in double-talk. Under such circumstances, we are not prepared to have any understanding with him or his party," said Nagam who was a politburo member of TDP and also a minhind theister in the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet for years.
"Our only focus now is Telangana," the senior legislator said.
There is an influential lobby in the BJP which is pushing for an alliance with Naidu to prove a point that it can attract new allies ahead of the 2014 elections.
Some media barons are also said to be behind the moves to bring the two parties together before the next elections.
However, an overwhelming majority of the state BJP leaders and cadre are not in favour of any alliance with Naidu, given the past experience with him. Moreover, his stand on Telangana is suspect.
More than the BJP central leadership, it is Naidu who is desperate for an alliance with a national party like BJP.
Notwithstanding his public assertions that his party would capture power in the next Assembly elections, Naidu is more or less convinced that the ground realities do not favour his party.
Because of his flip flop on the Telangana issue, his party is fast losing its relevance both in the Telangana and in Seemandhra regions. His abrupt cancellation of "Telugu Atma Gourava" Yatra is a reflection of the party's realization that it has lost the plot.
