VIJAYAWADA: A day after TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s remark that he would give a ‘return gift’ to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for ‘interfering’ in Telangana politics, the CM on Wednesday retorted that any leader or individual can go anywhere he wants in a democracy.
Speaking at a government programme in Ongole, Naidu said, “Any leader can go anywhere in a democratic country and can do whatever he wants (read politics).’’
Soon after his party’s landslide victory in Telangana Assembly elections on Tuesday, TRS chief Rao took Naidu to task for ‘meddling’ in politics of Telangana and went on to add that he too would ‘interfere’ in AP.
Reacting to Rao’s barbs, Naidu, in a way, welcomed the TRS chief to AP. “To serve people, any leader can go to any place in a democracy,’’ he said. Naidu went on to add that the TDP is committed to the welfare of Telugu people wherever they are. “Some people criticise us while some others talk in a threatening manner. But, we continue to strive for the welfare of people,” he said.
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The BJP also criticised Naidu for ‘interfering’ in Telangana politics by contesting the Assembly elections, in alliance with the Congress, thus giving an opportunity for the TRS to rake up ‘Andhra Dominance’ for its political mileage. The People’s Front led by Congress and TDP, fared poorly in the elections and the TDP could win just two seats in Telangana.
Holding a teleconference with TDP leaders from his residence at Undavalli earlier in the day, Naidu underscored the need for strengthening the TDP in both Telugu States and exhorted the party activists to strive like soldiers for the cause of Telugu Desam. The TDP chief reiterated that though he urged Rao to join hands with him to fight against the BJP, the latter rejected the proposal.
“It is ridiculous on the part of the BJP leaders highlighting the debacle of People’s Front in Telangana. Despite the electioneering of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah, the party managed to secure just one seat out of the 118 it contested. But, the BJP leaders are ridiculing other parties for the defeat notwithstanding the fact that the people rejected their own party in all the five States that went to elections,’’ Naidu said.
Observing that the results of Telangana Assembly elections were different from that of other States, he said the pre-poll strategy adopted by the TRS yielded the desired results.
Stating that the Third Front being proposed by Rao would be a futile experiment and benefit the BJP, he asserted that the mission to unite all the anti-BJP parties is aimed at dethroning the Modi government at the Centre as it was damaging the reputation of prestigious institutions like CBI, RBI and using the Income Tax Department and ED to target its political opponents.
Alleging that the BJP was targeting the TDP for taking a lead role in uniting all the parties against it, Naidu said the recent income tax raids on the properties of TDP MLC Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy clearly showed that the saffron party was resorting to vindictive politics against TDP. “We all should be on alert to thwart the political conspiracies of our opponents,” he said.