VIJAYAWADA: It was just a handshake and a gentle pat on the shoulder of AICC chief Rahul Gandhi by TDP national president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during the “show of strength” of anti-BJP forces at Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as Karnataka CM in Bengaluru. But, political parties, particularly the Opposition, see it not just as a customary greeting but a realignment of regional political parties backed by the Congress at the national level and, at the state level, a possible tacit understanding between the two parties.
His visit to Bengaluru on Wednesday raised enough indications that Naidu is, once again, likely to play a proactive role in national politics as he did in the late 1990s in forming the United Front.
Regional parties will come together in future: Naidu
Though the TDP is unlikely to forge any alliance with the Congress as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned as the latter is portrayed as a villain for the ‘irrational bifurcation of the state’ and also for not having considerable presence in the State, Naidu’s moves are indicating that he is keen on taking on the BJP, its poll partner in 2014 elections, with the help of the Congress at the national level. At the State level also, the TDP is likely to cosy up to the Congress as there is a possibility of YSRC-BJP-Jana Sena going in for a tacit understanding to defeat the ruling party. Speculation is that there might not be a pre-poll alliance but understanding with the Congress as the TDP is likely to face stiff competition in the coming elections from not just YSRC but also the BJP and the Jana Sena which announced that it would contest all the seats in the 2019 elections.
For the record, Naidu asserted that his Bengaluru visit was aimed at extending solidarity to Kumaraswamy, who was sworn-in as Karnataka CM. During a brief chat with mediapersons, Naidu said leaders of all regional parties came to Bengaluru to grace the swearing-in ceremony.“In future also we (regional parties) will work together to protect ourselves and promote national development. We want to promote and strengthen more and more regional parties,’’ he said.Asked whether there is any scope for the TDP to associate itself with the Congress in future, Naidu said that he came to Bengaluru to witness the oath-taking of Kumaraswamy.
However, opposition parties, particularly BJP leaders, attacked Naidu for sharing dais with Congress leaders. “Naidu has shown his true colours once again. Naidu, who used the BJP and benefited from it, has now started cosying up to the Congress. He is cheating the people of AP by hitching his wagon to the party which has hurt their sentiments. However , there is nothing unusual about his move as it is his nature to be an opportunist. I appeal to the people of AP to watch his move and take an appropriate decision,” BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana said.
“The secret alliance so far has been made public now. The TDP and the Congress are working together, which is completely against the very spirit of the formation of the party by its founder, the late NT Rama Rao. He should immediately tender a public apology,” Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president S Vishnuvardhan Reddy demanded.
YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy said that Naidu, after snapping its ties with the BJP, was now looking towards the Congress and was talking about special category status. Ridiculing the charges, TDP leader and Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said Naidu and YSRC chief Jaganmohan Reddy greeted each other when the Governor hosted a party. “Does it mean that both leaders have colluded,’’ he pointed out. “It is a tradition to greet even our enemies when we meet,” he said.
Information Technology Minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said playing a key role at the national level was not new to Naidu. Recalling that his father was crucial in formation of the United Front as well as in the previous NDA government, he said the TDP snapped ties with the BJP after it showed an empty hand to the State.In fact, a similar situation is also prevailing in neighbouring Telangana where the party is battling for survival. Some Telangana leaders are favouring an alliance with the ruling TRS.