Former Chief Minister and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu had caused irreparable damage to his own party by taking a number of U-turns and his “repentance” on leaving the NDA would never be accepted, BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar said on Saturday.
Addressing the media in Tirupati, Mr. Deodhar said the BJP, after discussion with its top leaders, decided not to ally with Mr. Naidu again. “Once and for all, the doors have been permanently shut on Mr. Naidu,” Mr. Deodhar asserted.
For the last several decades, Andhra Pradesh, the Rayalaseema region in particular, had been subjected to dynastic politics. “In Rayalaseema, the fight for political hegemony has always been between two families,” he observed.
Mr. Deodhar said the BJP belonged to all sections of people and would oppose dynastic politics tooth and nail.
The defeat of the TDP was proof of people’s support to the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, he reasoned.
“When people voted for the YSRCP, they thought that it would support the BJP if needed,,” Mr Deodhar said, and added that for the first time in six decades, the BJP could retain power with an enhanced majority.
Cases against Jagan
Since Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was enjoying clear public mandate, we would allow him to function for public good for the next three years, and constantly observe his performance on various poll promises,” he said. As far as the CBI cases against Mr. Reddy were concerned, the law would take its own course, Mr. Deodhar said.
The BJP leader demanded that Mr. Reddy accord priority to implementing the rule of reservation for the economically backward classes (EBCs).
To a question, Mr. Deodhar ruled out alliance with any party, including the the TDP, the JSP and the YSRCP.
Later, launching the Gandhi Sankalpa Yatra, he said the party would strive to weed out corruption from politics and fulfil the wish of Mahatma Gandhi of ushering in true democracy.
Referring to the elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, he exuded confidence that the BJP would win them hands down.
