Opposition bloc INDIA reaches out to TDP as BJP hedges its Andhra bet

The Opposition bloc INDIA has reached out to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leadership, days after the arrest of its chief, N Chandrababu Naidu, in an alleged corruption case.

The outreach, led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ignored pleas by ally Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party to enter into an alliance with the TDP for the 2024 Andhra Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

In the last four years, the TDP's principal rival in Andhra, the state's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), has supported the central government in Parliament on crucial bills.

The TMC, a leading constituent of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, contacted the TDP leadership since Naidu's Saturday arrest.

A local court in Vijayawada remanded Naidu in judicial custody for 14 days on Sunday for his alleged role in the multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam.

On Tuesday, the local court rejected a house custody petition filed by Naidu.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and a Congress leader in Andhra have criticised Naidu's arrest, alleging that the Centre had the foreknowledge of the former Andhra Chief Minister’s arrest.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, the head of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a former ally of the BJP, termed the arrest a "crude vendetta exercise".

"We are in touch with the TDP and have been told that the arrest has evoked sympathy for the former Andhra Chief Minister, particularly in rural areas," a senior Trinamool leader said on Tuesday.

Sources, however, said it was premature to discuss the TDP's entry into the Opposition alliance at the next INDIA meeting, which is likely to be held in Bhopal, in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Naidu's arrest, terming it vindictive politics that would backfire on the ruling party, drawing parallels with Naidu's arrest and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning her nephew, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

On Tuesday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed Banerjee sentiments, saying,"BJP and its opportunist friends" should remember that such political behaviour could return to haunt them.

From the BJP, its state unit chief, D Purandeswari, protested Naidu's arrest in a post on X on Saturday.

"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," she said.

The BJP state unit stayed away from Monday's state-wide bandh called by the TDP called to protest Naidu's arrest, while Jana Sena, supported the bandh.

The BJP senior leadership believed the YSRCP remained popular in Andhra and was a more reliable potential ally post-2024 Lok Sabha than the TDP.

The TDP exited the NDA in March 2018 on the question of a special package to Andhra and fought the 2019 elections in alliance with the Congress.

The Centre sanctioned Rs 10,460 crore in May, the highest for Andhra Pradesh since the bifurcation. In June, it released Rs 12,911 crore for the Polavaram project.

Over the last few months, TDP's attempts to mend fences with the BJP and return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have failed despite Jana Sena's efforts. Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in June, but the TDP didn't find a spot in the 38-party NDA meeting on July 18.