TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu.
Credit: PTI File Photo
The studied silence maintained by the Delhi leadership of both BJP and Congress on the arrest of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is being keenly watched for political meaning by the key political players in the state.
The scaling down of response by the national parties is in sharp contrast to BJP’s Andhra Pradesh ally and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan and non-Congress I.N.D.I.A allies who have thrown his weight behind the TDP leader arrested by the state police on charges of alleged corruption.
“The arrest sans a proper notice, without his name mentioned in the FIR, without seeking an explanation and bypassing procedures is unjustified. The BJP condemns this,” state BJP chief and Naidu’s sister-in-law D Purandeswari wrote on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) in response to the political developments in the state.
The BJP however did not join the protest call given by the TDP against the police action.
On Wednesday in Hyderabad, her counterpart from Telangana G Kishan too merely quoted Purandeswari on being asked to respond to Naidu’s arrest.
After a bitter divorce, in 2018, TDP has over the two years tried to build bridges with the BJP at the center. In July end, Naidu in a surprise visit to Delhi met BJP chief J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah triggering speculations of a reproachment.
BJP, however, has kept the matters hanging despite efforts by its NDA ally to stitch a grand anti-YSRCP coalition in Andhra Pradesh comprising of TDP, Jana Sena, and the BJP.
Jagan, on the other hand, has continued to bail the BJP out on legislative business in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority and even voted against the no-trust motion in the last parliament session.
For both TDP and YSRCP, support from the ruling party at the center is a critical variable as they enter the election season in 2024. BJP's political line of the turn of events thus assumes importance for the two regional parties slugging it out in Andhra Pradesh.
BJP on the other hand may prefer to keep its options open and cross the bridge as and when needed. Irrespective of BJP’s final call, Kalyan looks all set to join hands with the TDP.
Congress too, which had a bitter parting of ways with Raj Shekhar Reddy’s son has scaled down its reaction with only local leadership in AP and Telangana making sporadic comments on Naidu’s arrest. Though, the TDP contested the last Telangana assembly polls in alliance with the Congress but filed for a quick divorce ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The TDP-Congress alliance having failed to take off, Congress or at least its national leadership may want to keep the door ajar for Jagan. The daughter, Sharmila, is already on her way back to the party.
In politics, there are no permanent friends. Interests and evolving situations guide the course of action.