With the local body election schedule expected to be announced by the end of this month, the NDA alliance partners have decided to accelerate discussions on seat-sharing.
The Jana Sena Party appears determined to seek a larger share of seats in the local elections, with party leaders making it clear that the formula followed during the 2024 Assembly elections would not automatically be applied this time.
In the 2024 elections, Jana Sena contested only 21 Assembly seats in alliance with the TDP and BJP. However, party leaders are now insisting that the distribution of local body seats should take into account Jana Sena’s organisational strength and electoral influence at the grassroots level.
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has also reportedly made it clear that the party cadre should be given due importance and that seats should be sought in areas where the party has a strong organisational base.
With pressure mounting from cadres of all three alliance partners, seat adjustment has emerged as a key issue.
Jana Sena is reportedly preparing proposals seeking mayoral posts in cities including Vijayawada, Tirupati, Ongole and Kakinada, apart from several municipal chairperson posts. The party is also seeking control of municipalities in constituencies represented by its MLAs.
There are also demands for Zilla Parishad chairperson posts in the two Godavari districts, North Andhra and the Tirupati-Annamayya region.
Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar told party leaders that Pawan Kalyan would arrive on September 15 and conduct reviews on preparations for the local body elections.
Following discussions with senior leaders on the party’s proposals, Pawan Kalyan and party leader Madhav are expected to meet TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on September 16.
The meeting is expected to be significant, as Pawan is likely to place Jana Sena’s seat-sharing proposals before the Chief Minister.
Chandrababu Naidu is expected to examine the proposals put forward by Jana Sena and the BJP before providing greater clarity in subsequent discussions.
The three alliance partners are reportedly keen to finalise the broad seat-sharing arrangement by the third week of this month, including the proportion of seats to be contested by each party and the specific local bodies to be allotted to them.
The discussions are therefore likely to determine whether the alliance can accommodate the growing demands of all three constituent parties while maintaining unity ahead of the local elections.
Meanwhile, TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao said the TDP, Jana Sena Party and BJP would sit together and decide on seat-sharing.
He said the alliance would consider several factors while selecting candidates, including giving greater importance to youth.
Palla also said district-level meetings would be held first, followed by Assembly constituency-level meetings, as part of preparations for the local body elections.
