Though Naidu decided not to spell out the party's stand on the issue till the election notification was announced, party circles are confident that an agreement between both the parties is a certainty. A senior TDP leader told The Indian Express that there was unanimity over the issue in the party too.

However, no one is ready to hazard a guess on the number of constituencies proposed to be left to the BJP. ``The decision will be taken by the chief minister,'' the leader said. Even BJP leaders are understood to have left the matter to the discretion of Naidu.

Meanwhile, the chief minister reviewed the poll preparedness of the party at a meeting with senior leaders on Saturday after returning from atour of Krishna district.

As per the action plan finalised earlier, a state-level convention of politicians unattached to any party yet would be convened here on July 18. Efforts are on to mobilise people for the meeting.

TDP circles are abuzz with speculation that some `big' leaders from opposition parties would join them. The entry of expelled CPI MLA Kunja Biksham this week had elated them after the migration of its MLA M Seshagiri Rao and former MP M Rajamohan Reddy to the Congress recently.

``Some top leaders are going to join us from the Opposition camp,'' said a senior party functionary. According to him, those who are in contact with Naidu include a CPI MLA and three former Congress ministers.

Former Mahila Congress president Nannapaneni Rajakumari will also be inducted into the party after her return from US next week.