Even as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) have announced a formal alliance for the 2024 elections in Andhra Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to have its “own plans” .
According to party sources, the BJP has set a goal to improve its vote share. The party is understood to have decided to focus on about five Lok Sabha and 25 Assembly constituencies in the State, irrespective of alliances if there will be any.
The BJP has identified 10 Lok Sabha constituencies where it has “considerable strength and support”. The list includes Visakhapatnam, Araku, Kakinada, Rajampet, Tirupati, Naraspur, Anakapalli, Rajamahendravaram, Kurnool, and Hindupur. Of this, the focus would be on Visakhapatnam, Araku, Kakinada, Rajampet and Tirupati.
The reason for choosing these five constituencies is that the BJP either has won from these segments earlier or has a vote share and support for various reasons such as outreach programmes being implemented by organisations like Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, a wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said the sources.
“We have a stronghold in tribal constituencies such as Araku. The BJP State leadership has also identified 48 Assembly constituencies where the party has chances of winning. Of this, the BJP has a good vote share in 24 constituencies,” sources said.
“Whether we have an alliance or not, we will go all out to regain our vote share and improve our numbers,” said a party leader who didn’t want to be identified.
“Even if there will be alliances, it will be on our terms. We will focus on the identified Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies,” the leader said.
The BJP had a vote share of 3% to 4% in the past. As the election was largely bipolar—a fight between the YSRCP and the TDP—in 2019, the BJP supporters voted for the YSRCP and teh BJP vote share slipped to less than 1%.
“Efforts are on to regain 4% vote share in 2024 elections. Keeping it in view, the BJP has been working to strengthen the organisation in the State,” the leader added.
