Bharat Ratna to NTR, CBN condition to join NDA?

CBN entry in NDA linked to Bharat Ratna to NTR.Telugu matinee idol and Telugu Desam founder N.T. Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR, is reportedly in line to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. This development has sparked speculation that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) may rejoin the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on March 5, paving the way for an alliance between the BJP, Telugu Desam, and Jana Sena ahead of the 2024 elections. TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is said to have offered the majority of MP seats to the BJP as part of the electoral pact.

The move comes after the BJP-led Narendra Modi government posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna to former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, receiving widespread acclaim. If NTR is awarded the Bharat Ratna, he will become the second Telugu leader to receive this honor. Sources suggest that the BJP is eyeing the Bharat Ratna announcement to garner support from NTR's admirers and the TDP in the upcoming elections.

During Naidu's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 8 regarding the poll alliance, the BJP reportedly demanded a significant share of Lok Sabha seats. As a result, when the TDP-Jana Sena alliance announced its first list, they withheld the announcement on the allocation of MP seats. Naidu has been reportedly reassuring his party leaders to be prepared for sacrifices by promising them other positions after forming the government.

The BJP is said to be focusing on key Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh, including Vijayawada, Ongole, Visakhapatnam, Araku, Rajamahendravaram, Narsapuram, Eluru, Tirupati, Rajampet, and Hindupur. A crucial meeting in Delhi regarding the first list of BJP MP candidates is scheduled, and with the conclusion of the Tadepalligudem TD-JS meeting, Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are expected to travel to Delhi. Naidu is likely to formalize the rejoining of the NDA on March 5.