TDP fires another salvo but only blanks

While silent on continuing outside support to the Centre, a resolution at the meeting — presided over by Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu — asserted ‘‘the noble poll process should not be used for narrow and communal ends’’.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan ruled out changes in party’s stand to back Modi but expressed confidence TDP — with 27 MPs — would not take back support.

What Mahajan didn’t say was even if TDP did pull out, it would make little difference to NDA. Indeed, it would survive even if the Lok Jana Shakti of Coal Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress too left.

Naidu has called a meeting of his party MPs in Hyderabad tomorrow, the Biju Janata Dal a similar meeting in New Delhi the day after.

All this should have worried the BJP but it’s buoyed by the new arithmetic in the 542-member Lok Sabha, where the NDA has the support of 277 MPs (excluding those of the TDP, Trinamool Congress and Lok Jana Shakti).

And if the votes of AIADMK — which has openly backed Modi — and BSP are included, the NDA’s strength goes up to 300. Vajpayee is aware the TDP, even if it withdraws support, may not go with Congress to vote him out as the two are at loggerheads in Andhra Pradesh.