The TDP won the 1994 Assembly election with N.T. Rama Rao, founder of the party, as leader. NTR was the father-in-law of Chandrababu Naidu. Within a year Chandrababu incited revolt in the TDP and removed NTR from the Chief Ministership, NTR died in 1996. After the death of his father-in-law NTR, Chandrababu Naidu assumed the office of Chief Minister and after continuing as the undisputed boss of the TDP and lording over the administration, Chandrababu is faced with election again. The high-profile Chief Minister has changed a lot over the years. In 1998 the BJP would not have succeeded in forming the Government at the Centre if Chandrababu Naidu had not come forward to lend his party support to he BJP. But the TDP was supporting the Vajpayee Government at the Centre from outside. With the Assembly polls declared he has formed alliance with the BJP drawing the ire of the minorities. Chandrababu Naidu however claims that it is just a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP. But will the Muslims feel secured after the Chief Minister's vote face?

To Chandrababu Naidu his political survival is greater than the question of his sticking to political morality. The BJP wants to get a firm foothold in Andhra Pradesh taking the help of Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu's calculations are that he will retain power in the State while conceding more seats for the Lok sabha to the BJP. One needs the other. The BJP wants to capture power at the Centre; Chandrababu Naidu does not want to lose the State.

In the 1994 Assembly election N.T.Ramarao allied with the left parties and the TDP-Leftist alliance polled 51% of votes against the BJP. The Congress got just 26 seats only and its share of votes was 3.89%. Like West Bengal in Andhra Pradesh there are 42 Lok Sabha and 294 Assembly seats.

In the 1996 Lok sabha election the vote share of the TDP and the Left Parties was reduced.

In the 1998 Lok Sabha election the BJP formed and alliance with the Lakshmiparvati, the widow of NTR and the BJP got four seats. The share of votes of the Congress and the TDP was also reduced a little. The TDP's number of seats came down from 16 to 12. The party of Lakshmi-Parvati was virtually wiped out.

Guided by his past experience, Chandrababu has now joined hands with the BJP hoping that an alliance with the communal party would deliver the goods -- that is victory in the Assembly election.Like the BJP the TDP led by Naidu does not attach importance to political morality.

Of course outcome in any election does not confirm to calculations made earlier. Chandrababu Naidu may be hopeful that despite loss of minority votes he would scrape through the hustings. But if section of the TDP's known supporters ditches the party in the polls, the result might be disappointing both or his party-TDP and himself. Such a possibility was not out of his reckoning. That is why he waited the last moment to align himself and his party with the BJP. That is why Naidu is trying hard to assuage the ruffled feelings of the BJP. He has come to a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP. Will the voters be as credulous as Chandrababu Naidu deem them to be? He says he is not campaigning for the BJP to help it assume power at the Centre, he simply wants Mr Vajpayee to become the Prime Minsiter. Will his campaign points be acceptable to the voters?