BJP national executive member and Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu on Saturday came down on the Telugu Desam Party clarifying that the recent remarks made by Union Minister of State for Social Justice and RPI (A) leader Ramdas Athawale were his personal and the BJP leadership had not so far discussed its strategy and alliance partners for the 2019 general elections.
“I don’t know why Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is scared of the BJP forming the next government. In fact, Mr. Naidu should explain why he is trying to get close to the Congress betraying the ideals on which NTR had founded the TDP. I also fail to understand on what ground he fears that the Centre will file cases against him,” he said.
At a press conference along with BJP Floor leader in the Assembly P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, MLC P.V.N. Madhav, and city president M. Nagendra, he said Mr. Athawale, during his visit to Vijayawada, said, “The TDP should not have exited the NDA and it should reconsider the need to come back to the BJP-led coalition. If not, the YSR Congress is a better alternative for the BJP.”
The BJP leader said after the unilateral decision of the TDP, Mr. Naidu wrote a letter to BJP national president Amit Shah, which was replied by the latter with certain facts and figures. Referring to Mr. Naidu’s apprehensions that the Centre might turn vindictive by foisting cases against him, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi believed in respecting judicial supremacy and not interfering with the functioning of constitutional posts.
Hitting out at Mr. Naidu, he said the BJP was not responsible for cases booked against YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and their status.
Mr. Haribabu said in fact the TDP was trying to get close to the Congress to prevent the BJP from forming the government in Karnataka.
