Amaravati: TDP national president, N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday, March 19, exuded confidence that the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena alliance would storm to power in Andhra Pradesh by winning more than 160 Assembly seats.
The former CM is also confident that the NDA will bag more than 400 Lok Sabha seats. “A resounding echo throughout Andhra Pradesh is heralding the dawn of a progressive era, resonating with the firm belief that the NDA will surpass 400+ in Lok Sabha and 160+ in the State Assembly,” Chandrababu Naidu posted on X.
As per the seat sharing agreement among three NDA partners in Andhra Pradesh announced last week, the TDP will contest 144 out of 175 Assembly seats and 17 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats. It left 31 Assembly segments and eight Lok Sabha seats for the two allies.
While Jana Sena will contest 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats, the BJP will field its candidates in 10 Assembly and six Lok Sabha constituencies.
The TDP has already so far announced 128 candidates for Assembly polls while Jana Sena has announced seven candidates.
The BJP is yet to announce its candidates. None of the NDA partners have declared candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
Simultaneous polls for Andhra Pradesh Assembly and all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state are scheduled to be held on May 13.
A direct fight is on the cards between the ruling YSR Congress Party and the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena alliance.
In the 2019 elections the TDP, BJP and the Jana Sena contested the polls separately. While TDP and BJP went alone, the JSP contested the polls in alliance with BSP and the Left parties.
The TDP, which lost power to the YSR Congress, could win only 23 seats. The Jana Sena won a single seat while the BJP drew a blank.
The YSR Congress had wrested power from the TDP by winning 151 seats. It also swept the Lok Sabha polls, winning 22 seats.
The TDP bagged the remaining three seats. After the crushing defeat in 2019, Jana Sena returned to the NDA.
Though Chandrababu Naidu was also keen to revive the alliance with the BJP, the latter was cold to his moves due to friendly relations with the YSR Congress, which extended full support to the Centre in passing crucial Bills in Parliament.
However, with Jana Sena joining hands with Chandrababu Naidu a few months ago, the BJP came under pressure to become part of the alliance to avoid a split of anti-incumbency votes.
