HYDERABAD: A day after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi voiced his intention to campaign in Andhra Pradesh, the Hyderabad MP on Wednesday clarified that he would do so in support of his “good friend” YSRC supremo Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, with the aim of defeating the State’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the upcoming elections in AP.
On Tuesday, Owaisi while addressing his first press conference after the TRS defeated the TDP-Congress-CPI Praja Kutami said he would campaign in Andhra Pradesh during the general elections. “Mark my words, out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats there, you will not be successful even in two seats. Anti-incumbency sentiment will destroy you.”
However, on Wednesday, Owaisi clarified his stance over campaigning in the State and said, “I have reiterated this in my public meetings earlier: I will definitely go to Andhra Pradesh. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a good friend of mine and I will campaign in support of him. I will tell Naidu how anti-incumbency hurts.”
Owaisi’s friendship with Jagan Mohan Reddy is well known. When the YSRCP chief was attacked in Vizag airport a few months ago, Owaisi condemned the incident and criticised Naidu for his response. He had said, “Irrespective of political differences...Naidu was cruel in the way he responded.”