Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu has demanded that the YSR Congress spell out its stand on the post-poll alliance with the third front, proposed to be formed with the backing of the Congress.
Quoting Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s statement that “the Congress-backed third front could be a possibility”, Mr. Venkaiah said that it only proved that the Congress was resorting to ‘backdoor politics’ to form the government with the support of parties like the YSRC, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP) and others.
Addressing a media conference here on Saturday before leaving for election campaign in West Godavari district, Mr. Venkaiah said that the Congress leaders should stop making ‘unrealistic promises’ at least now.
TDP rebel issue Responding to the queries on differences among the TDP and the BJP on the poll alliance, he said two of the TDP candidates were in the fray from two seats that were allotted to the BJP as part of the electoral understanding. “The BJP wanted the two candidates to withdraw or else action will be initiated against them by their party president N. Chandrababu Naidu,” he said. He, however, was quick to add that he was not concerned about the issue, as it would be settled by the two alliance partners at the State-level.
Mr. Venkaiah reacted sharply to the issue that was frequently raised by the Congress leaders that how a senior leader like L.K. Advani was sidelined by the BJP. He said the BJP did not have to learn lessons from the Congress which had ‘scant regard’ for its own leaders like P.V. Narasimha Rao whose dead body was also denied the honour it deserved.
He also cited examples of former AICC president Sitaram Kesari who was unceremoniously pushed out of the office and others like T. Anjaiah, S.M. Krishna and Jaffer Sharief.
‘Dynasty is nasty’ Responding to a query that the entire BJP focussed only on its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu tossed a one-liner: “Dynasty is very nasty, but it is tasty to the Congress. What can we do?” TDP’s Rajahmundry MP candidate Maganti Muralimohan, BJP’s Rajahmundry city candidate Akula Satyanarayana and others were also present.
