VIJAYAWADA: Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said differences between the TDP and BJP were only over the Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh. Speaking during a summit conducted by a national television channel in New Delhi on the theme ‘Time of Transformation: The need to keep fighting’, Naidu said, “I endorse and support the policies of the Prime Minister. The country is more important than politics.”
The former Chief Minister’s remarks assume significance as his party has been left isolated after its electoral debacle in 2019. With the saffron party in alliance with actor-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena, the TDP is of the view that it can give a tough fight to the formidable YSRC, if the three parties come together. While Naidu has been moving in that direction for a while now, he made his intentions clear in Delhi.
Asserting that India received due recognition because of Modi, the 73-year-old politician said, “The Prime Minister has promoted India and gained recognition for the country on a global level through networking. I entirely agree with his vision and aim to associate Telugu people in achieving the same.”However, he dodged a question on whether he was willing to join the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) in the coming days.
“I cannot answer hypothetical questions, but it is all a matter of time,” he maintained. Elaborating on his vision, the TDP chief said he wanted to make India the number one or two economy by 2047. “I want to contribute to this vision and, if the Prime Minister is thinking along the same lines, I agree with him. We had differences only over Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh,” he reiterated. Asked about the Opposition parties at the national level opposing Modi’s vision, Naidu said they had also criticised his Vision 2020 and branded him as 420 (cheat).
“There are criticisms, but politics is one aspect and development another. The country and society are permanent, and everyone should dream and work towards making India number one,” he opined. In the same breath, Naidu advised the Centre to abolish currency denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. “Today, we are ahead of other countries in using digital payment methods. This will make politics transparent as too much money will not be spent during elections. Our country will go a long way if a whip is cracked on political corruption,” he observed. Further, he said, “My vision is to bring India above the poverty line by 2047.”