In the wake of the BJP’s landslide victory in UP, its relations with the Telugu Desam in the state will now take a new turn

Vijayawada: In the wake of the BJP’s landslide victory in UP, its relations with the Telugu Desam in the state will now take a new turn. TD national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who seemed non-committal over BJP policies all along these days, sent a straight signal to the saffron party’s headquarters that the TD wants to sail with its ‘development’ agenda.

However, BJP seniors have been suggesting the party headquarters that having alliance with regional parties would give results seen in Punjab. The BJP-TD relations have been in troubled waters for the past one year, as TD leaders have been encouraging a section of leaders in BJP, which prompted leaders like Somu Veerraju and few others from Kapu and other sections to keep quiet.

Leaders close to Chandrababu Naidu are amazed at his instant outreach to Narendra Modi. "Our leader is ahead of Jaganmohan Reddy in congratulating Modi," a TD polit buro member said and added that the TD’s goal is to restrict Jaganmohan Reddy from becoming close to Modi by all possible means. “We also will start exerting pressure over the Modi government within a few days to take a stringent action against Jagan in the cases pending against him,” he said.

However, a section of BJP in Andhra Pradesh unit is not happy with the TD leadership, as it is trying to override the BJP. “Intruding into BJP’s affairs by showing Venkaiah Naidu’s proximity wth Chandrababu Naidu is not proper,” a leader, who is in anti-Haribabu camp, told this correspondent.