Sujana, CM Ramesh miffed over being left out of BJP-JSP talks

Vijayawada: A crucial meeting between the Bharatiya Janata Patry and the Jana Sena Party in Vijayawada on Thursday has upset a few TDP-turned-BJP leaders as none of them were invited to take part in the dialogue. Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member Sujana Chowdary and his RS colleague C M Ramesh are among those left behind.

BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana and Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao are representing the BJP, while Pawan Kalyan and Nadendla Manohar will participate in the meeting from JSP.

Sources said C M Ramesh and Purandheswari were reportedly hurt over this development as they have been advocating the cause of only one capital – Amaravati – for Andhra Pradesh. GVL, who has supported the three-capital formula, has a different understanding of the issue, they said.

Thursday's talks in Vijayawada follows Pawan Kalyan's meeting with BJP working president J P Nadda last week and it will focus on issues related to a common minimum programme between the BJP and JSP till 2024, said sources.

Since JSP had secured around 8.7 per cent votes in the last elections, BJP wants to sail with the party. However, it is learnt that GVL is likely to insist on the merger of JSP into BJP. Sources said BJP state in-charge Sunil Deodhar, also a participant in the key meeting, will submit a report on the talks to his party headquarters.

Sujana Chowdary has openly expressed his dismay over GVL's inclusion in the list of people for the meeting and his and Ramesh's exclusion. He says GVL is supporting YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s three-capital formula.

GVL had different observations on Amaravati on various platforms in the last three weeks. Initially, he said that the Centre won’t intervene in the capital issue, but later stated that Amaravati would remain as it is. “As the party's national spokesperson my word is final,” GVL said recently, and also demanded an inquiry over alleged insider trading in Amaravati.

Sujana Chowdary has openly criticised GVL’s observations on insider trading. “We [Sujana and C M Ramesh] are the party MPs from AP, and GVL was elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh,” he reportedly told his close associates, expressing his serious objections over being left out of BJP-JSP meeting.