Naidu’s roll of the laddoo, Nitish’s temple play: In BJP shadow, allies make their move

While these moves of the BJP’s two most important allies have been projected as their increasing convergence with the BJP, a section of the ruling party sees this as attempts by its coalition partners “to keep their Hindu support base intact” and to stop it “being weaned away by the BJP”.

Sources in Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said though the Tirupati controversy primarily targeted Jagan Mohan Reddy, the “long-term benefit will be retaining our Hindu support base”.

“Naidu’s is a tactical move to corner Jagan. He has not just raised the laddoo issue, he is building on it by talking about Jagan not giving an undertaking for entering the temple (Jagan is a Christian, and non-Hindus are required to sign an undertaking before entering the temple). Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupati is not a Hindutva icon, he is Hinduism, more universal. So, Naidu wants to ensure that Jagan’s comeback is blocked and, in the process, he also earns goodwill from devotees,” said a senior BJP leader. He believes it will also give a fillip to the Hindu Right’s demand to reclaim temples from government control.

He added, “When you take up this issue to corner Jagan, even those in the BJP who have maintained warm ties with the YSRCP leader cannot do anything but act on it. So, Naidu has made a smart move here.”

A TDP leader said that while he did not see a “political motive” and that Naidu was only trying to “cleanse the system” given the “corruption” in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board under the Jagan government, “it’s true the move will have political benefits and advantages”. “The TDP may not add to its support base among the Hindus as it already enjoys significant support in the community. But certainly, we have to see we are not losing them.”

Another TDP MLA said support from Hindus as a result of this action was a “byproduct”. TDP MLA Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, a former MP from Jagan’s YSR Congress Party known for taking up Hindu causes, told The Indian Express that questions were “bound to rise” on the running of Tirupati. “The CM himself being a devotee of Balaji has taken the right decision. It will reassure not just Hindus in Andhra Pradesh but also across the world.”

Then there is the Pawan Kalyan factor. For Naidu and the TDP, this ensures that their ally, the Deputy CM and leader of the JanaSena Party (JSP), who enjoys a stronger bond with the BJP does not emerge as a more reliable Hindu face, BJP insiders said.

When the laddoo controversy erupted, Kalyan, an actor-turned-politician, called for the setting up of a “Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board” to look into all issues linked to temples, including “desecration”, land issues, and “other dharmic practices”.

Kalyan claimed he was deeply hurt by the “impurities” in the laddoos and announced an 11-day “Prayaschitta Diksha (ritualistic penance)” at the Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Guntur. On Tuesday, the Deputy CM washed the steps of the Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada. In 2020, Kalyan and BJP leaders had issued a joint call to take up a fast in the name of “Dharma Parirakshan Deeksha (Penance to protect Hindu Dharma)” after alleged attacks on Hindu temples in the state.

TDP leaders said they were also watching Kalyan’s attempts to “emulate NTR (former Andhra CM and TDP founder N T Rama Rao)”, another successful export from the world of movies to politics. The JSP leader was recently spotted wearing saffron, draping a stole around his neck like NTR used to.

State BJP sources admitted that while the party had failed to create either a strong base or leadership structure in the state, Kalyan enjoys “more confidence and proximity” to its central leadership and backs the “ideology the BJP stands for”.

“Many in the party see him as a more credible face among party supporters. Senior leaders, including Narendra Modi, have not hidden their affection and appreciation for him,” said a BJP leader, pointing out that at a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the Lok Sabha polls, the PM said while referring to the JSP leader: “Pawan nahi, aandhi hain (he is not a breeze, he is a storm)”.

What is Nitish up to?

In Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s praise for Modi for the Ram Temple and the demand for a direct rail link between Sitamarhi and Ayodhya has caused apprehension in sections of the state BJP.

The BJP leaders feel Kumar, whose party has made unexpected gains in the Lok Sabha polls, could be attempting to make dents in their vote bank. “Nitish Kumar has never made any such remarks in the past. For the last eight months, despite being a coalition partner, he has remained silent. Now that he is praising the Ram Temple construction, the party has to look into what he is up to,” said one such leader.

The JD(U)’s emphasis on Sita stands in contrast to the “Ram-centric” politics of the BJP. “It might look like the JD(U) is somehow endorsing the BJP’s politics but Nitish Kumar has been eying the development of the Ramayana Circuit and overall tourism in the state. Sita symbolises women’s empowerment, a constituency the CM has been championing for a while,” he said.

— With inputs from Santosh Singh in Patna