Chiru’s snub shatters BJP’s Andhra dreams

The BJP’s hopes of seeking a bigger toehold in southern state of Andhra Pradesh received a big jolt here on Monday when the fledgling

Praja Rajyam, the political party floated by popular film star Chiranjeevi, ruled out the possibility of joining hands with it.

“We’re ready to form an alliance with all secular parties,’’ Mr Chiranjeevi told newspersons after his meeting with chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami here on Monday in connection with his party’s request for an election symbol.

“Praja Rajyam is a secular party, while the BJP is not, and there could not be any truck with it,’’ he said. He, at the same time, hastened to add that a final decision on the subject was yet to be taken.

The Praja Rajyam founder’s remarks are certain to come as a big blow to the BJP’s hopes of zeroing down on an alliance partner in the state in an attempt to seek a larger space for itself. Its dalliance with the TDP came to an abrupt end after the 2004 general election, which saw the Congress-led alliance coming out on top in the state.

While the BJP, which contested the Lok Sabha as well as the assembly election in the state in alliance with the TDP, drew a blank in the parliamentary election and had to rest content with only one seat in the assembly, the TDP too faced a rout.

Since then, the BJP has been forced to plough a lonely furrow in a state which sends as many as 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Its attempts to look for prospective political friends in the state have drawn a blank so far. While the TDP has joined hands with the Left, the TRS, which, like the BJP, too is fighting for a separate Telangana, has not evinced any interest in mending fences with the saffron outfit.

Veteran film actor and Praja Rajyam founder Chiranjeevi had raised hopes on this count by declaring initially that he did not rule out the possibility of a tie-up with the BJP. His remarks had raised hopes in the saffron camp that its attempts to find an alliance partner in Andhra Pradesh would end on a positive note.

With Mr Chiranjeevi doing an about-turn on the issue, rejecting the possibility of stitching a pre-poll alliance with the BJP, the latter is now faced with the dreadful prospect of being rendered absolutely friendless in Andhra Pradesh.

Finding suitable partners in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which between them account for 81 Lok Sabha seats, is crucial in the BJP top brass’ scheme of things. The party has minimal presence in these two states. Hence, locating political friends becomes a necessity.