Naidu leaves alliance issue to TDP-TS leadership

Targets only NDA and Modi, maintains silence on TRS

Telugu Desam Party (TPD) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has left the issue of party’s poll alliance in Telangana to the local leadership and hinted that he would not campaign for party candidates in the election.

“I leave it to the party leaders here to take a collective decision on the issue keeping in mind the best interests of the party and the State (Telangana). I told them to decide and let me know and assured to cooperate with them,” Mr. Naidu said addressing the general body meeting of TDP’s Telangana unit here on Saturday. He cautioned them against sending wrong signals to people, which would harm the party’s interests but told them to go forward in tune with people’s wishes.

Stating that TDP was not after power, Mr. Naidu said the party would stand and fight for its ideology. He cited the example of turning down the offer of the then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee to TDP to join the NDA Cabinet during 1998-2004.

Asking them to be all prepared to face the election whenever they were announced, Mr. Naidu maintained a strategic silence on TRS, its leadership and the governance in Telangana.

He, however, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tried to create rift between him and his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao during the debate on no-confidence motion moved by the TDP in Parliament, stating that KCR was a mature leader and he (Mr. Naidu) was not. “He (Mr. Modi) became CM in 2002 but I am there from 1995 itself,” he said.

Mr. Naidu used most of his 40-minute speech to criticise the NDA government at the Centre and Mr. Modi for not fulfilling the promises made in the Reorganisation Act to AP such as special category status to the State. He alleged that the Centre had deceived both Telugu states as it had not given Bayyaram steel plant, tribal university and national status to an irrigation project in Telangana.

Taking a dig at the BJP-led government at the Centre, Mr Naidu alleged that it was misusing agencies such Central Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Enforcement and Income Tax Department and acting with vengeance against those who differed with it. “It happened in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and it could happen in Telangana and AP too,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Naidu had a meeting with senior leaders of TDP-Telangana. TS-TDP unit president L. Ramana said they would go along with like-minded parties in the election, while R. Chandrasekhar Reddy said Mr. Naidu would take a call on the poll alliances.