Rama Krishna Sangem
TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has indicated his party going with BJP led NDA in the coming assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh in May 2024. Though he hasn’t spelled out details of talks between the two parties presently, the veteran leader has confirmed one thing – that he would like to go with BJP this time.
Naidu spoke to media persons in Delhi on August 29, Tuesday, a day after he was present at a function at Rashtrapathi Bhavan where a commemorative Rs 100 coin honoring late actor turned politician NTR was released. President Draupadi Murmu released the coin to mark the birth centenary of NTR who served as AP CM multiple terms. The occasion was clearly a non-political one, but it has acquired enough political touch.
Naidu and many of late NTR’s family members were present at the event, while Lakshmi Parvati, wife of NTR was not invited to it. Lakshmi Parvati, who is now with YSR Congress and chairperson of AP Official Language Commission blamed Naidu for her not being made part of the commemorative coin release. NTR’s daughter and BJP’s AP president Purandeswari and BJP president JP Nadda, however, were present.
Naidu wants to ally with Jana Sena & BJP
Naidu is in need of allies to beat CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YCP in the coming elections. As of now, Jana Sena chief and Power Star Pawan Kalyan is in alliance with BJP and wants to defeat Jagan. BJP too claims to be working for defeat of YCP, but is not ready to join hands with Naidu till now. Pawan Kalyan wants three parties – his Jana Sena, BJP and TDP – should come together and defeat Jagan.
Till now, Naidu has met Pawan Kalyan several times and is able to convince the latter for an alliance against Jagan in AP. Pawan Kalyan too is conveyed this message to the top BJP leaders on many occasions in the past. So far, there is no clear response from the BJP top brass on this. BJP top leadership is unable to forget how Naidu left the NDA government before 2019 elections and joined hands with Congress led opposition front.
In 2019 elections, Naidu’s TDP got 3 MPs and 23 MLAs. Since then, Naidu has been trying to stage a come back in AP. But aggressive populist welfare schemes of CM Jagan have made it tough for Naidu, whose TDP fared badly in local polls. Addition of Jana Sena will be a gain to Naidu, but Pawan Kalyan is not ready – at least at this stage – to cut ties with BJP and join TDP. Pawan wants a grand alliance of these three parties.
“I left NDA for AP’s Special Status”: Naidu
Naidu, on Tuesday, said that he hasn’t left NDA government before 2019 elections for any reason, other than getting a special status for AP, a promise made at the time of state bifurcation in 2014. “Now I am ready to forge alliances to defeat Jagan, who has destroyed AP in the last four years,” said Naidu. He, however, didn’t reveal details of his talks with BJP leaders. Naidu dismissed INDIA as leaderless opposition front.
