 "TDP, BJP reach a broad understanding over seat-sharing")
Ending days of acrimony, Telugu Desam Party and Bharatiya Janata Party were tonight understood to have reached a broad agreement over an electoral alliance in Andhra Pradesh.
However, an official announcement in this regard is yet to be made as BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar is still closeted in talks with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu over the exact number of seats they would be sharing.
As per the understanding, TDP has agreed to allot 45 (out of 119) assembly and eight (out of 17) Lok Sabha seats to BJP in Telangana and 15 (175) and five (25) seats in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
There was high drama in BJP office as presidents of its Telangana district unit strongly opposed the electoral tie-up with TDP and threatened to resign from the party.
Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy and senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya tried to pacify them but the district presidents staged a protest at a star hotel where Javadekar was staying.
Javadekar, too, tried to placate the agitated party leaders saying the alliance was in national interest.
Later, TDP Leaders Y Satyanarayana Chowdary, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, L Ramana and Errabilli Dayakar Rao continued the talks with Javadekar when a broad understanding was reached between the two parties over the number of seats to be shared in each region, sources said.
After this, Javadekar went to Naidu's residence and continued the talks to iron out some rough edges certain seats in and around Hyderabad.
The discussions between the two were still on till late tonight.
The two parties are expected to announce the first list of candidates for the April 30 election in Telangana, tomorrow.
However, an official announcement in this regard is yet to be made as BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar is still closeted in talks with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu over the exact number of seats they would be sharing.
As per the understanding, TDP has agreed to allot 45 (out of 119) assembly and eight (out of 17) Lok Sabha seats to BJP in Telangana and 15 (175) and five (25) seats in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
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On a day of hectic activities in both parties, Javadekar flew here from New Delhi along with his party leaders Naresh Gujral and Satish Goyal and held discussions with Chandrababu Naidu at his residence.
There was high drama in BJP office as presidents of its Telangana district unit strongly opposed the electoral tie-up with TDP and threatened to resign from the party.
Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy and senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya tried to pacify them but the district presidents staged a protest at a star hotel where Javadekar was staying.
Javadekar, too, tried to placate the agitated party leaders saying the alliance was in national interest.
Later, TDP Leaders Y Satyanarayana Chowdary, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, L Ramana and Errabilli Dayakar Rao continued the talks with Javadekar when a broad understanding was reached between the two parties over the number of seats to be shared in each region, sources said.
After this, Javadekar went to Naidu's residence and continued the talks to iron out some rough edges certain seats in and around Hyderabad.
The discussions between the two were still on till late tonight.
The two parties are expected to announce the first list of candidates for the April 30 election in Telangana, tomorrow.