BJP turns to former allies to bump up 2024 score

After sealing the deal in the eastern state of Bihar with JD(U), the BJP is well on track to tie up with parties across the country in the bid to secure a historic win in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Top party sources told News18 that talks are currently underway with the RLD, TDP and Akali Dal.

A BJP source, confirming the news, said: “Talks are currently underway with Jayant Chaudhary and the discussion right now is on the seats that the RLD can get in the NDA.”

Chaudhry has held at least 2-3 rounds of meetings with the BJP’s top leadership. Sources said he has asked for 4-5 seats in the upcoming polls, including the family bastion of Baghpat.

The RLD has a strong base in Uttar Pradesh, especially in the Jat-dominated region. The BJP wants to leave no stone unturned to maximise the seats in Uttar Pradesh, especially western UP. Apart from the Jat issue, Chaudhary can also help them negate the impact of farmers’ protest and the wrestlers’ agitation.

Meanwhile, the BJP leadership has also had at least two rounds of meetings with the Shiromani Akali Dal top brass in a bid to strike an alliance in Punjab.

Akali Dal and Parkash Singh Badal were BJP-led NDA’s oldest allies. However, the alliance broke after the government brought the farm bills. Following this, Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union cabinet and Akali Dal severed ties with the NDA. However, the Akali Dal, which is facing a stiff contest from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress in Punjab, is considering going back to its old friend BJP ahead of the 2024 elections.

Just a couple of days ago, the BJP top brass met another old ally as Telugu Desam Party’s Chandrababu Naidu was in the national capital to meet JP Nadda and Amit Shah. The BJP leadership will also hold a meeting with its ally in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan, before holding another round of meetings with Naidu.

Kalyan’s Janasena is in alliance with the NDA and also has an alliance with TDP in Andhra Pradesh. “Talks have not reached the seat-distribution stage so far but the leadership of both sides is keen on coming back together to help the BJP register a victory in the state and also get seats in Andhra Pradesh where their score is currently zero,” a senior leader confirmed.

Naidu was in alliance with the NDA during the era of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 2014 to 2018. The TDP snapped ties after the Union government did not adhere to the demands for a special status for the state of Andhra Pradesh. However, TDP faced a huge drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections at the hands of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP. The assembly elections which also happened alongside the Lok Sabha polls saw TDP lose face.

AIADMK, another ally of the BJP in its push for southern focus, led a bitter fallout last year. However, in a number of interviews given to regional media in Tamil Nadu, several ministers have said that the doors are open for AIADMK to come back to the NDA fold.

In the state of Karnataka, BJP has an alliance with JDS and talks will soon take place on seat distribution. The JDS has asked for four seats in the Mandya belt which has been the stronghold of the party.

In the state of Maharashtra too, the BJP is in alliance with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP. The saffron party will soon hold further discussions with these parties over the distribution of the 48 Lok Sabha seats.

During his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Lok Sabha, PM Modi set the target for the NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The prime minister emphatically said while BJP would score 370 seats, NDA would win over 400 seats. With the target set and the alliances expected to fall into place before the announcement of poll dates, the NDA can definitely breathe easy.