NDA seat-sharing talks remain inconclusive as JSP, BJP eye bigger quota in local body polls

No consensus has emerged among the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in Andhra Pradesh on seat-sharing for the forthcoming urban local body elections, with the BJP rejecting the TDP’s offer and Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan reportedly expressing reservations over the proposal made to his party.

Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu met BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav and State Medical and Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday to discuss seat-sharing. The BJP leaders “stoutly rejected” the TDP’s offer, according to sources.

“They offered five per cent of the seats. They are going by the old system of seat-sharing, which we rejected,” a senior BJP leader privy to the discussions said.

On Tuesday, TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao and Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu held discussions with Mr. Pawan Kalyan, but the talks reportedly failed to yield positive results.

Sources said Mr. Pawan Kalyan highlighted the “sacrifices made” by him and the JSP over the past decade, particularly during the 2024 elections, to strengthen the NDA in Andhra Pradesh. He reportedly pointed out that he was also “answerable to the JSP cadres” and had to take their aspirations and expectations into account while negotiating the allocation of seats and key posts.

The JSP has reportedly sought eight mayoral posts out of the 17 municipal corporations in the State. The TDP is understood to be considering five or six posts for the JSP. However, the allocation has not been finalised, with discussions over several urban local bodies still inconclusive.

The BJP and the JSP have reportedly submitted lists of places where they want to contest, based on their assessment of local political strength. The TDP, as the alliance’s principal partner, is weighing these demands against the partners’ organisational presence, electoral performance and local political equations.

Andhra Pradesh has 123 urban local bodies, comprising 17 municipal corporations, 88 municipalities and 18 nagar panchayats. While municipal corporations have Mayors, municipalities and nagar panchayats have Chairpersons. The negotiations involve the distribution of these key posts, besides corporator, councillor and ward-level seats.

The reservation roster for mayoral posts has added another dimension to the negotiations, with the alliance partners required to identify candidates in accordance with the prescribed categories, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and women.

With differences persisting over the allocation of seats and leadership positions, further consultations are expected before the NDA finalises its seat-sharing formula for the urban local body elections.