Isolated TDP chief sent feelers to DK Shiva Kumar?
Nonetheless, it was only BJP AP chief Daggubati Purandeswari and MP K Laxman who have condemned his arrest. That too, only the way it was done, not the case against him per se.
Published: 12th September 2023 08:18 AM | Last Updated: 12th September 2023 08:18 AM | A+A A-
TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu being taken to Rajahmundry central jail from Vijayawada on Sunday.(Photo I Prasant Madugula)
VIJAYAWADA: The arrest and subsequent remand of TDP supremo and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for his alleged role in the AP State Skill Development Corporation scam made it to the national headlines for two consecutive days. However, the deafening silence from across the political spectrum is striking.
It appears that Naidu, who had once played a key role in national politics, stands isolated at the most challenging time of his career. Besides being in an alliance with the BJP between 2014 and 2019, and with the Congress during the 2019 general elections, the 73-year-old had enjoyed the camaraderie of Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, RJD veteran Lalu Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and a host of other leaders across the country.
Nonetheless, it was only BJP AP chief Daggubati Purandeswari and MP K Laxman who have condemned his arrest. That too, only the way it was done, not the case against him per se.
It is reliably learnt that he rang up senior Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shiva Kumar recently around the same time that Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy paid a visit to the Karnataka strongman. What transpired between Naidu and DKS is unclear, but sources observed he could be hedging his bets.
Ex-CM’s arrest political vendetta by Centre: Mamata
Naidu’s advocate Siddharth Luthra happens to be Shiva Kumar’s legal eagle. Thus far, the Congress hasn’t publicly backed Naidu. When contacted, a senior TDP leader rued the BJP has a soft corner for the YSRC which has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 11 in the Rajya Sabha.
“The BJP-led Central government has the support of the YSRC as well as the TDP. I.N.D.I.A alliance is avoiding both the parties,” he said, suggesting that the TDP has no support from either NDA or the Congress-led opposition camp. In some sort of respite to the TDP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned the manner in which Naidu was arrested as she slammed the Centre following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged school recruitment scam. “Abhishek is being unnecessarily harassed.
Similarly, Naidu was arrested in a way that is not at all fair. There should not be such vindictiveness, it might boomerang,” she remarked at a presser. Sources in the TDP felt it was a welcome statement by Mamata, but opined it is just not enough. CPM senior leader BV Raghavulu, too, objected to the way Naidu was arrested, but added action should be taken if charges against him were proved. CPI State leaders, though, lent their support to Naidu as did BJP’s ally Jana Sena. BJP confined itself to a statement and refused to even support the bandh on Monday. TDP sources said the party will try to first take up agitations in the State and, think of a way to garner support at the national level.
TDP SUPPORTED CENTRE ON SEVERAL ISSUES
Naidu had pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) before the 2019 polls ostensibly over the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and joined hands with the Congress. Following the poll debacle, he has been trying to patch up with the BJP and distanced himself from the Opposition camp led by the Congress. The TDP has extended support to the Modi government in Parliament on several occasions and Naidu has even hailed PM Modi’s leadership, sending clear indications he wants to be back in the NDA
