New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is closely watching developments in Andhra Pradesh where former chief minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Jagan Mohan Reddy's statement expressing support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and seeking electoral reforms is being perceived as an indication that the once "friendly party" could be moving towards the Opposition bloc, people aware of the matter said. Reddy on Sunday said the appointment of election commissioners should be independent of the government in power. He also expressed regret over his party's support for the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which governs the appointment of Election Commissioners in 2023. "Approving that, I am regretting it now," Jagan told reporters. He also expressed concerns over the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise and said 4.6 million fake voters had been identified across the country, and the government had decided to proceed with the elections using an unrevised electoral roll. He alleged that the delimitation of divisions and wards had been carried out to favour the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Earlier this week, Jagan, in a post on X, said: "A proactive approach always yields better results than a reactive stance. The system has a flaw that needs to be corrected. Trust in the electoral process must be restored. The arrests of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka do not solve anything; it only aggravates the situation. I empathise with @SauravDassss and @AshutoshRanka." The post was seen as an endorsement of the CJP, which is part of the ongoing protests in the Capital against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, for what they allege are irregularities in the conduct of SIR. Senior BJP leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity said the YSRCP joining the INDIA bloc will pave the way for a political shift not just in the state, but also in the neighbouring Telangana. The possible realignment comes at a time when the BJP is scouting for support for the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, which seeks to redraw constituency boundaries based on the 2011 census and is necessary for implementing 33% quotas for women in legislatures. The YSRCP has eight MPs-four each in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Though not part of the NDA, it has been counted as a friendly party that supported the government on several key issues. While the NDA can pass the delimitation bill with a simple majority, it needs a two-thirds majority for the constitutional amendment bill. The YSRCP's eight votes could therefore prove significant. Reddy had earlier asked the Union government to ensure that southern states do not lose seats because of their better population-control record, and demanded that an assurance of a proportionate increase in seats for southern states be included in the delimitation bill. BJP leaders said a coming together of Reddy and the Congress in Andhra Pradesh could pose a challenge to the ruling TDP, a key NDA ally. In Telangana too, the BJP could face a stronger opposition if the realignment materialises. "If the YSRCP will join the INDIA bloc then the opposition will gain support from the larger coalition of Christian and Muslim voters in AP. The percentage of Christian voters is high in AP and they support Jagan, they also have a significant presence in Telangana, which the Congress will benefit from," said a BJP leader. In AP, Christians are 1.37% of the electorate while Muslims are a little over 9%; in Telangana Christians are 1.27%, and Muslims are a little over 12%. "However, estimates put the percentage of Christians at 10-15% in both the states, as many practising Christians who are originally Dalits continue to identify as Hindus for reservation benefits," said the leader. He said that if the YSRCP aligns with the Congress, the Reddys in Telangana too will shift alliance to CM Revanth Reddy. "There is a significant settler vote (voters who shifted from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema but are registered voters in Telangana) that is crucial in 20-30 constituencies in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation region, in places such as Gachibowli, Khammam, and Suryapet, which the Congress will gain if the realignment occurs," the leader said. However, a second party leader said Reddy's statements came soon after the CBI and ED, which are probing cases against the former chief minister, moved a court seeking a daily trial. "This is a fight for survival. The issue of vote chori that the opposition has raised has no traction on the ground here." the second leader said....