The political battle over the upcoming local body elections in Andhra Pradesh is gaining momentum, with both the ruling alliance and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) gearing up for what they see as a crucial electoral contest.
With alliance partners BJP and Jana Sena Party seeking seats in areas where they have a strong organisational and electoral base, the Telugu Desam Party, headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is facing a tough task in negotiating with its allies.
The BJP and Jana Sena have already begun consultations through their respective committees over seat allocation.
Both parties are reportedly pressing for seats in constituencies and local bodies where they believe they have a stronger presence.
A final decision on the latest seat-sharing proposals is expected to be taken during discussions involving Naidu, Jana Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and BJP state president P N V Madhav.
According to TDP sources, Naidu has initiated organisational measures within the coalition to ensure that none of the alliance partners feels sidelined.
The TDP chief has entrusted selected senior party leaders with district-wise responsibilities to coordinate with alliance partners, assess the electoral strength of the parties and identify potential candidates.
The leaders appointed as district in-charges are expected to assess the seats that could be allocated to alliance partners, examine their respective strengths and weaknesses, and prepare lists of potential TDP candidates. Their recommendations will subsequently be submitted to the party leadership.
With the local body election schedule expected at any time after September 15, the newly appointed district-level leaders have been directed to visit their respective districts and begin preparations for the electoral battle.
They will focus on constituency-wise coordination, mobilisation of the party cadre and preparations for potential candidates, besides working with BJP and Jana Sena leaders to ensure better coordination within the alliance.
