The Bharatiya Janata Party will contest all elections in Andhra Pradesh with the Jana Sena, its ally in the State, and there was “no question” of a tie-up with the Telugu Desam Party, BJP national secretary and its co-in-charge for the State Sunil Deodhar said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Mr. Deodhar said “both parties” (referring to the ruling YSRCP and the TDP) were “not good for the health of Andhra Pradesh”.
“There is no question of an alliance with the TDP,” he said, in response to a question about that party’s chief N. Chandrababu Naidu’s recent visit to the Capital.
Mr. Deodhar hit out at the YSRCP, accusing it of “rigging” the byelection to the Badvel Assembly constituency scheduled for Saturday. The BJP would be submitting a complaint to the Election Commission about Model Code of Conduct violation by the YSRCP using government machinery to woo voters.
Mr. Deodhar alleged that Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Lok Sabha M.P. Avinash Reddy had gone to BJP mandal president Rama Krishna Reddy’s house with “police” and “50 cars” to force him to join the YSRCP. He said the joining ceremony took place in the Minister’s official residence, a government building.
Mr. Deodhar also hit out against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for allegedly trying to appease Christian voters by paying the salary of priests from government funds and issuing a tender for the construction of a church. He termed the government a “corrupt” one.
