Daijiworld Media Network – Amaravati

Amaravati, Jun 5: In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly given up its claim to a Rajya Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh following a revised seat-sharing arrangement among National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, amid mounting speculation over the political future of former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai.

According to sources, NDA leaders, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan and senior BJP leaders, held a meeting in Amaravati on Thursday to finalise the alliance's strategy for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Under the revised formula, three of the four Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in Andhra Pradesh will be contested by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), while the remaining seat will be allotted to the JSP. Earlier, the BJP was reportedly expected to receive one seat, with the TDP and JSP sharing the remaining three.

Political observers view the move as linked to recent developments in the Tamil Nadu BJP unit, where reports indicate that Annamalai may step down from the party. Sources suggest that the Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha berth was being considered as a possible option for the former Tamil Nadu BJP president.

The NDA leadership also reportedly decided to organise three joint public meetings in Tirupati, Amaravati and Visakhapatnam later this month to strengthen coordination among alliance partners and showcase unity within the coalition.

Speculation surrounding Annamalai's future intensified after he held a series of high-level meetings in New Delhi on June 2 with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and the party's national general secretary (organisation), BL Santosh.

Sources said Annamalai briefed the central leadership on the political situation in Tamil Nadu and discussed the reasons behind his reported decision to step away from the party. During the meetings, the former IPS officer is understood to have conveyed his intention to resign, though no official announcement has been made so far.

The latest developments have added a new dimension to the political landscape in both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with attention now focused on Annamalai's next move and its possible impact on the BJP's strategy in the southern states.