Hyderabad: Gearing up for the post-poll scenario, where it may need support from non-NDA parties, BJP has begun backchannel talks with YSR Congress Party, which may emerge as a kingmaker in the event of a hung Parliament.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah is said to have begun backchannel talks with Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, whose YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is likely to bag majority of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.

According to sources, the talks are on over Jagan’s charter of demands with Special Category Status (SCS) to the state topping the list. Other demands could include number of ministries for YSRCP and the financial and other assistance the state would get from Delhi.

However, there was no confirmation from YSRCP leadership about the backchannel talks. Party leaders said they were not aware of any talks between Jagan and Shah.

The final four phases of the poll, started on April 29, is described as the real election for BJP. Out of 240 seats that are at stake in these phases, BJP had bagged more than 160 in 2014 polls.

If things do not move its way in these crucial phases, the BJP may have to look for support from others, especially someone like Jagan, given the number of seats his party is predicted to win.

The BJP leaders, however, feel that some of the demands put forth by Jagan as a precondition for support were outlandish. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids on YSRCP leader and industrialist K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju in an alleged Rs 947 crore bank loan default case on Tuesday assumed significance in this backdrop. The BJP apparently wanted to send a message to Jagan.