VISAKHAPATNAM: Hinting that the BJP may go it alone in the 2019 general elections, party State president and Visakhapatnam MP K Haribabu said that the differences between the BJP and the TDP didn’t mean that the saffron party had opened its doors to YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh for an alliance. At a news conference here on Sunday, the BJP senior leader said that weaknesses of other political parties gives strength to the saffron party.
Denying that it would be difficult for the BJP to emerge as a major political party in AP and even in other states due to strong presence of regional parties in the new political scenario, Haribabu said that the BJP had a lot of scope to expand its base. He said that the party’s focus would be on informing the public what it had done for the welfare of the State in the last few years. The BJP leader said that the weaknesses of other political parties here is its biggest asset in AP and even in other parts of south India. He said that the ruling TDP is now adopting the political strategies of the YSRCP and upped the ante for special category status (SCS) after years of silence.
‘Naidu took U-turn’
Haribabu said that after getting financial assistance from the Centre, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu suddenly woke up and started accusing the Centre as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of cheating the State.
“Fearing that the YSRCP might gain an upper hand in the fight for special category status, Naidu took a U-turn on special category status,” he said.
Haribabu said that though the TDP and even other parties in AP had been blaming the NDA government at the Centre, the government would not forget the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act and would not delay release of funds to the State.
“The saffron party is committed to the State’s development and we promise that the NDA government would fulfil its promises to the people of AP,” he added.
“I feel we have enough time to decide whether we would go it alone or have an alliance with any other political party in the state for 2019 elections. But as of now, we have decided to strengthen our party to emerge as one of the major political forces to reckon in the State,” the MP said.
Makes light of all-party meet
Dismissing the allegations of illegal arrest of Telugu Desam MPs in New Delhi on special category status, BJP MP Haribabu said that the TDP MPs were detained by police when they tried to stage a protest near the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence as the venue is a sensitive zone.
“What would the State government do if some protest was planned at the CM’s residence? It is sad to note that the MPs do not even know that they are not allowed to stage any protest at such a place, says Haribabu. Commenting on Saturday’s all-party meeting, convened by Naidu, Haribabu said that it’s not an “all-party meeting”, but “all your party meeting”.