3 Reasons why Chandrababu chose to go with Congress

How can the TDP announce an alliance with Congress when it was formed on an anti-Congress plank? If this is what has been on your mind, these are some of the reasons why the Telugu Desam Party Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is betting big on the alliance between TDP and the Congress, nationally.

1) Win-win situation

For Telugu Desam Party, BJP is the current enemy. For the BJP, TDP is the current enemy in the country. After TDP walked out of NDA, BJP High Command has taken the battle against Chandrababu personally. They have been hatching plans to finish his political career and destroy TDP, which has a very strong party cadre in both the Telugu States.

For the Congress, obviously, there is another friend in BJP's enemy. As a seasoned politician, Chandrababu indicated his inclination towards a Congress alliance during Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony in Karnataka where all the anti-BJP partners came together, in a show of strength. On the other hand, for Congress, joining hands with Chandrababu Naidu also will win them several regional allies. From Mayawati, Arvind Kejriwal to veterans like Sharad Pawar, Sharad Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Deve Gowda, and others. Given that Chandrababu maintains cordial relations with most national and regional leaders and is known to be a great deal-maker, Congress will use his political acumen.

2) Reinvigorating cadre in Telangana and gaining sympathy in AP 

Ground reports in Telangana suggest that Congress is gaining a significant edge over the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in some rural parts of the State. Despite facing defections and being grounded, the Telugu Desam Party will use the Congress to reinvigorate its cadre in Telangana. Historically, the TDP, right from its inception, has proved to be a rallying point for OBCs although it does not invoke the ideology of OBC uplift. While KCR continues to blame Chandrababu for everything wrong with Telangana, his moves will backfire as Telangana also has a considerable population of "Andhra settlers" who are pro-TDP and pro-Chandrababu. On the other hand, the Mahakutami will also prove to be a strong rallying point for voters who are upset with the TRS.

However, in Andhra Pradesh, since all the parties have ganged up against the TDP in favour of the BJP, Chandrababu can use this to gain sympathy among voters. He can claim that parties like the YSRCP, Jana Sena and other anti-TDP forces are dancing to the tunes of plans hatched by the BJP which is working against the interests of Andhra Pradesh.

3) A credible face for the alternative front 

The break-up of TDP and BJP and the yellow party's parting from the NDA was an indication of Chandrababu's game plan for 2019 elections. While the TDP stitched an alliance with the Congress, TJS, and CPI in Telangana to form a Grand Alliance, at the national level, he has been meeting several key leaders. He met all anti-BJP leaders and is making efforts in bringing together all of them under one roof. While Rahul Gandhi still seems to be unacceptable as the PM face alternative to Narendra Modi, Chandrababu Naidu's presence and strategies lend credibility and confidence for other senior leaders such as Sharad Pawar, Deve Gowda, the Badals of Punjab and the Chowtalas of Haryana.

It is also clear that the only leader in the country who can fight Modi is Chandrababu, either through experience or political acumen.

Therefore, these moves are not only "Democratic compulsion" for the country as Chandrababu claims, but also a political compulsion for TDP's victory in Andhra Pradesh and creating a considerable goodwill for the Yellow party in Telangana. All in all, Chandrababu's political games have begun! And, there will be more surprises in store as elections near!



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