TDP leader Nara Lokesh meeting with Amit Shah raises speculation on alliance talks

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

TDP leader Nara Lokesh with union home minister Amit Shah has once again raised the speculation that both parties are looking at a possibility of alliance. The meeting became important in two contexts.

First it was a meeting called by union home minister Amit Shah.

Sources in the TDP told ET that Lokesh got a phone call from union minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy telling him that Shah wants to meet him.

Second during the meeting, state BJP president of Andhra Pradesh D Purandeswari and Telangana BJP president Reddy, both were present.

Sources in the BJP told ET that the arrest of TDP leader N Chandra Babu Naidu has given the impression that this has been done by the state government at the behest of the central government.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan had met Shah a week ago in Delhi. This further gave strength to the general perception.

Back in the state, Jagan Mohan had said that he was not aware about the arrest of Naidu as he was out of the country at the time of his arrest.

He also added that the Income Tax authority is not part of the state government. Jagan didn’t say it clearly but the messaging on the ground is that Naidu’s arrest was the central government’s plan.

Post the arrest of Naidu, the Kamma community, to which he belongs to, came out on streets in Telangana to protest.

Kamma’s account for 4.

5 per cent of Telangana population and BJP is worried that the arrest of Naidu could make them go against the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections. Apart from Kamma’s there are groups of communities called Andhra settlers- people who belonged to Andhra Pradesh but settled in Telangana.