Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been desperately trying to get back into the fold of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the last three years, appears to be inching towards his goal.
And the man who is brokering the deal between Naidu and the BJP top leadership is media baron Ch Ramoji Rao, the chairman of Ramoji group, according to the reports doing rounds in a section of media.
According to these reports, the deal is likely to be struck at a meeting of Naidu with Union home minister Amit Shah at Ramoji Film City on Sunday evening.
Shah, who will be addressing a huge rally at Munugode in the afternoon, will have a brief stopover at RFC, before returning to Rajiv Gandhi international airport at Shamshabad to meet Ramoji Rao.
At the same time, Naidu will also reach the RFC and receive Shah. Both of them will have a meeting at Ramoji Rao’s house for about 45 minutes.
Former Union minister Y S Chowdary alias Sujana Chowdary has played a key role in arranging the meeting, the reports said.
What Naidu will do there – whether he will touch the feet of Shah or hold his hands to request him to take the TDP back into the BJP fold, will have to be seen, but if the meeting happens, it is definitely a significant development in politics.
The BJP is also said to be looking for the support of the TDP in Telangana. All said and done, the TDP still has some cadre and vote bank in Telangana and since even a small percentage of votes will make a lot of difference in the next elections, the TDP can help the BJP to some extent.
Naidu has already displayed his loyalty towards the BJP in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular, by extending unsolicited support to the saffron party in the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections.
“The BJP believes that a tie-up with the TDP will ultimately transfer the voters of the latter party to it in the next election, thus adding in its incremental value,” the report said.
In return, Naidu might seek the tie-up with the BJP and Jana Sena together in 2024 assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. A solid support from the Centre will help the TDP return to power in the state, the TDP leaders believe.
