Jagan reluctant to accept BJP’s offer

Hyderabad: In yet another attempt to woo YSR Congress party to join the National Democratic Alliance in New Delhi, BJP has offered the post of Lok Sabha deputy speaker to the party.

However, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, wary of BJP’s negative image among the minorities, was reluctant to accept the offer, the YSRCP sources said.

According to the sources BJP sent the offer through one of its senior spokespersons belonging to Andhra Pradesh GVL Narasimha Rao who met Jagan in Amaravati on Tuesday.

Though both the parties were officially silent on the issue sources said that the offer was indeed made during the half an hourlong meeting.

YSRCP with 22 MP is the fourth largest party in Lok Sabha, after BJP, Congress and DMK. The BJP has been offering the post of deputy speaker to one of its allies. In 2014 Thambi Durai of AIADMK had become the deputy speaker.

Sources said that if YSRCP declines the offer the post in all probability will go to BJP ally Shiv Sena.

YSRCP leaders say that two factors were weighing heavily with Jagan in declining the offer. First any close association with the BJP or NDA was unlikely to go down well with the minorities who had extended outright support to the YSRCP in the recent elections. Rayalaseema region, from where Jaganmohan Reddy hails has a significant Muslim population, which the party cannot ignore.

The second factor was the issue of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh which was the main plank of Jagan’s campaign against the TDP. Jagan has laid the condition of SCS to extend support to any government at the Centre. As the BJP has categorically refused to accept the demand, Jagan can ill afford to be seen getting closer to the BJP.

After his meeting GVL Narasimha Rao said, “I don’t know anything about the offer of Deputy Speakership. That will be decided by the party’s central leadership”, he said.