Former union minister YS Chowdary meets BL Santosh as BJP discusses political options in Andhra Pradesh

By Payal Mehta
New Delhi [India], June 14 : Amid speculation of a possible tie-up between BJP and TDP for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, BJP leader from the state YS Chowdary met party general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh in the national capital on Wednesday.
Sources said that during the meeting Chowdary, who was with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) before he joined the BJP, held discussions about the political situation in the state as also the performance of the YSRC government. Andhra Pradesh will go for assembly polls along with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The meeting is being seen as significant as Chowdary was among the senior leaders of TDP and was a minister during the first tenure of the Modi government under the TDP quota, which was then a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
This meeting comes days after the visit of BJP chief JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the southern state.
TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with Amit Shah and Nadda earlier this month in the national capital, leading to speculation of rapprochement between the two parties.
There has been speculation that BJP and TDP may forge an alliance in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
TDP had vociferously raised the demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh and parted ways with BJP in 2018. Naidu turned into a strong critic of the BJP-led government in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Chowdary, along with three other Rajya Sabha members of TDP, joined the BJP in June 2019.
Chaudhary retired from the Rajya Sabha in April last year.