TDP-Congress Unholy Alliance For 2019 Elections In AP?

K Jayadev

The 2019 elections are likely to spring up lot of surprises, at least in Andhra Pradesh. Interestingly strange combination and never imagined allies are likely to join hands. And mind you, all with the sole aim to capture power.

Never did anyone imagine that two political parties with completely opposite ideologies would join hands. But for the first time, it seems to be happening in AP. The state is scheduled for assembly elections along with general elections in 2019. Already poll fever has not only gripped political parties, people in the state are keenly following latest developments in the political scenario.

In Andhra Pradesh, an understanding for an unholy alliance seems have been forged. Surprisingly, the ruling Telugu Desam Party has decided to join hands with their arch rivals Congress. The question now is if the Congress is ready to go with TDP. If it does, will be an advantage or a drawback for TDP? Looking at the behaviour of top leaders in both the parties, it's not hard to find answers.

After AP Chief Minister N Chadrababu Naidu snapped four ties with BJP after the four years by walking out of the NDA government, he has been desperately seeking an ally at national level. Putting aside the image and reason behind the founding of TDP, Chandrababu has gone ahead to get pally with the Congress. Interestingly, the no-confidence motion that was placed by TDP in Parliament against the NDA government was immediately supported by Congress party. Moreover, Congress President Rahul Gandhi went on to attack BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech in Parliament during the no-trust motion discussion, but he didn't utter one word against the TDP.

Also Read: Chandrababu Has Lost His Mental Balance: Roja

TDP was established by popular cinema actor NT Rama Rao in the early 1980s with the sole purpose of taking on the mighty Congress in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The philosophy and agenda clearly spelt out the anti-congress rhetoric. Even the initiative of NTR at the national level was to form a non-Congress front called National Front. But unfortunately, NTR's son-in-law, Chandrababu was was busy plotting to overthrow his own father-in-law and playing petty politics for personal gain. He's now doing the same by joining hands with Congress. This clearly shows that he doesn't care about the ideologies of the party's founder.

Yet another aspect is the fact that TDP has established itself as a party of coalition politics in its four-decade journey. For instance, in 2009, the party led the grand alliance with Left parties against the Congress while in 2014 it joined hands with the BJP and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party. So this time, Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena walked out after the no-trust vote in Parliament while the TDP walked out of the BJP-led NDA, Left parties were not in support of Chandrababu. He was left with nobody else but Congress. On the other hand, Congress was also looking to gets its foot back into its old bastion - AP.

None of the leaders from the two camps are yet ready to proclaim the alliance and no official indication of the unholy alliance has been given out. But the top leaders of both the parties seem to be happy with the partnership and are looking for the right time to make it official. Though TDP might not gain much out this alliance, it needs a partner at national level to take on YSR Congress Party and its President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The YSRCP president has shook the political ground in the state, thanks to his popular mass contact initiative- Praja Sankalpa Yatra. To take on a popular and powerful party like YSRCP, TDP is hesitant to do it single-handedly.

Also Read: TDP Stands For Total Drama Party: BJP MP GVL

Moreover, the news from Delhi is that TDP is one step closer to forming the unholy alliance. It is learnt that the Congress top leadership has asked its partymen to go after the voters of the YSR Congress Party, and not that of the TDP. This is the first instance of the Congress ceding ground in the interest of Grand Alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Following the state's bifurcation, the Congress's voter base fell down to a mere 2 per cent, and the party had lost its deposits in all the 175 constituencies in the state's Assembly elections as well as 25 parliament seats in the 2014 General Assembly elections. The Congress is now looking to regain its ground in the state and thus considering the option of joining hands with TDP to make this happen.

Will this unholy alliance really happen? Will it have any impact on the prospects of YSRCP? These are questions being raised in political circles.However, it's highly unlikely given that people of the residury state are already vexed up with the TDP government. But the fact remains that the ruling TDP is ready to go to any extent to stop the YS Jagan juggernaut!

Also Read: Farmers In A State Of Misery Under TDP