No, Chandrababu Naidu did not say TDP’s alliance with BJP is temporary

What is the claim?

An 11-second video featuring former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu has circulated on social media, with claims that Naidu referred to the party's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as 'temporary' and solely for the upcoming Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.

In the video, Naidu is heard speaking in Telugu, stating, "As I need the central government, and when they (BJP) approached us for an alliance, I agreed. I did not go asking for an alliance."

This video was shared with the caption, “Yesterday he said the alliance is temporary and only for 2 months, today he is saying it’s @BJP4Andhra that wanted alliance again spreading lies and ready to blame @BJP4India for his loss.” The engagement on this post suggests that it is widely believed that Naidu made such comments about the alliance. An archived version of the post can be accessed here.

Notably, the TDP has announced an alliance with the BJP and the Jana Sena Party (JSP), led by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, for the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled for May 13, 2024. This coalition will contest against the ruling YSR Congress Party.

Screenshot of the viral social media post (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

While the video's authenticity featuring Naidu is confirmed, the claim that Naidu declared the alliance as "temporary" originates from a fabricated document circulated as an open letter allegedly written by the Andhra politician.

What did we find?

We thoroughly investigated Naidu's alleged statement regarding the transient nature of the alliance between the BJP and the TDP. However, no credible news reports substantiating this statement were found. Instead, our attention was directed to a letter circulating on social media, purportedly authored by Naidu and addressed to his party supporters.

In the viral letter, Naidu purportedly delineates the terms of the alliance, asserting its duration until the elections and his intention to hold the BJP accountable for perceived injustices towards Andhra Pradesh, including inadequate funding for irrigation projects, failure to grant special category status to the state, and insufficient support for the development of the new capital. Naidu also accuses the BJP of betraying Andhra Pradesh's interests.

Initially, we searched for news reports and checked Naidu and TDP's social media accounts to verify if he had indeed penned such a letter. However, no such reports or posts were found.

Purported letter Naidu wrote to TDP supporters about the alliance with BJP (Source: Facebook)

The purported letter displayed several spelling errors. Additionally, the date on the letterhead was listed as 20-23-2024, suggesting possible tampering.

Furthermore, we compared the viral letterhead with an official letterhead issued by the party, identifying various discrepancies:

Discrepancy 1: Font on the letterhead

The font used in the address section at the top right of the purported letterhead differed from that of the official letterhead. Additionally, the spacing between the final line of the address and the header varied noticeably from the authentic version.

Comparison between the purported letterhead and the original letterhead (Source: Facebook)

Discrepancy 2: Party symbol

Discrepancies in the depiction of the TDP's emblem were also noted. The yellow flag appeared slightly tilted on the official letterhead, a detail absent in the viral letter. Moreover, the color filling the space within the red wheel of the emblem differed in the two versions — the viral letterhead had a yellow fill, blending with the flag's hue. Furthermore, the thread securing the flag on the authentic letterhead intersected the first and second Telugu letters beneath it. In contrast, on the circulated letterhead, it cut through the middle of the initial letter.

Comparison between the purported letterhead and the original letterhead (Source: Facebook)

These inconsistencies strongly indicate that the circulated letter is fabricated, and there is no evidence to support Naidu's purported remarks regarding the alleged temporary nature of the TDP-BJP alliance. Logically Facts has previously fact-checked similar letters claimed to be authored by Naidu, and our fact-checks can be accessed here and here. 

The verdict

A counterfeit letterhead, purportedly from Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, has been used to claim that he stated the TDP's alliance with the BJP is temporary. As a result, we have marked this claim as false.