NEW DELHI: Even as the last phase of the polling is yet to conclude on May 19, Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and many other Opposition leaders including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and others as part of his efforts to bring together Opposition parties.
The meeting with Opposition leaders ahead of the poll results has been seen as Naidu’s effort to form an anti-BJP coalition front to form the next government at the Centre.
On Saturday, the Andhra CM first met Rahul Gandhi and the leaders discussed firming up an anti-BJP front to keep the saffron party out of power after poll results are declared on May 23.
Sources claimed that Naidu also told Gandhi to have a strategy ready in case the BJP tries to stake claim to form the government despite falling short of numbers.
Naidu also met CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja. Thereafter, he met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar as well. Subsequently, the TDP leader left for Lucknow to meet SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati.
Both Akhilesh and Mayawati have so far stayed away from most of the meetings that Chandrababu Naidu held in the run-up to the 2019 polls.
On Friday, Naidu had met CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal and discussed with them the possible tie-up in the post-election scenario.
Naidu is also in touch with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over the phone. Naidu’s efforts come at a time when TRS president and Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao has been trying to revive the Federal Front.
Naidu himself is facing a stiff challenge from the YSR Congress whose chief Jaganmohan Reddy is convinced that his party will form the government in Andhra Pradesh.
While the country is eagerly awaiting the poll results on May 23, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also reached out to opposition leaders with the purpose of putting up a united show if the NDA doesn’t get a decisive mandate.
Naidu on poll bonds
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu attacked the Modi government, alleging that there has been misuse of electoral bonds and new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes were introduced after demonetisation to “buy votes”
On a meeting spree
Naidu held a flurry of meetings with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, BSP’s Mayawati and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav.
He also met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, LJD leader Sharad Yadav and CPI leaders