Newspaper's report of BJP-TDP merger goes wrong; parties won't laugh at April Fools' joke

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lashed out at a newspaper journalist for publishing a fake story that claimed that Chandrababu Naidu's party was going to 'unconditionally' merge with the BJP and alleged that it was an 'April Fools' joke. A reporter of news daily Deccan Chronicle earned the wrath of TDP after publishing a story that claimed that former AP CM Chandrababu Naidu was going to move to Central politics soon after merging his party with BJP and that the saffron party was 'ending its bonhomie with YSRCP'. The report published in the news daily quoted TDP leaders claiming that 'the future looked bleak for them in the party and that they did not see any other option left'. 

TDP slams journalist for April Fools' joke

Although the newspaper carried a sentence at the last line of the story indicating that it could possibly be an April Fools' joke, TDP did not take it lightly. Taking to Twitter, TDP slammed and accused the journalist for attempting to peddle fake news and claimed that the scribe had sunk journalism ethics to new low and disappointed readers. TDP further claimed that the journalist had revealed his own merger with his master and that the joke was on him. 

BJP's Andhra Pradesh in-charge Sunil Deodhar shared a picture of the story published and asked if it was an April Fools joke.

TDP's 'regret' and the downward spiral since then

It is pertinent to point out that the TDP had earlier part ways with the NDA in May 2018, right after which they lost the General elections and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh by a landslide. TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu reportedly admitted in 2019 that he regretted leaving the NDA during a public rally. Chandrababu Naidu's ambitious plan to lead a third-front against the PM Modi-led NDA in the 2019 general elections backfired and instead forced the TDP leader to settle for literally nothing. Shortly after TDP's bitter defeat in 2019, over 50 leaders - including ministers - joined the BJP, denting Chandrababu Naidu's chances further.  

Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leaders have borne the brunt of the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP govt as it has been alleged that the former was involved in corruption while they were the ruling party. In an 8-page letter sent to CJI SA Bobde on October 6, Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused Justice NV Ramana of being biased towards TDP and claimed that attempts are being made to topple his government. He has also accused him of influencing the sittings of the High Court in a way that matters important to Telegu Desam Party are allocated to a few Honourable judges. He had also made claims of Justice Ramanna and his family's involvement in the Amaravati land deal with then-CM Naidu. Later, the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered an investigation into a private phone conversation between Justice (retd) Eswaraiah and a suspended judicial officer regarding the Benami transactions in the state's new capital region. This was challenged at the SC, which refused to intervene. However, the Andhra High Court has stayed the 'Amaravati land scam' case filed by the state CID against Chandrababu Naidu and his ex-cabinet minister P Narayana.