The upcoming Lok Sabha elections of 2019, is bringing many arch-nemesis together to counter Modi wave. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has invited Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, who recently returned to the throne with a thumping majority, to form an anti-Modi alliance together.
Speaking at an India-Today conclave, CM Naidu said, “He (KCR) is welcome, to form a government, any such alliance of regional parties will have to take support either from Congress or BJP or give support to either of the two national parties. KCR has to make a choice.”
In recently concluded assembly elections, CM Naidu’s TDP had allied with Congress to fight against K Chandrashekar Rao’s TRS in Telangana. However, Rao returned to his throne with a thumping majority, giving a jolt to Congress-TDP alliance. Following which, K Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha had expressed the party’s decision to form a ‘federal front’, that is free of either Congress and BJP.
“A federal front is being floated. We believe that a neutral platform should be established which is free of both BJP and Congress. Our agenda is to address the people of this nation. There have been various political groupings in the country which failed while few succeeded.” K Kavitha had said.
Responding to which, CM Naidu had said this move of forming a federal front by K Rao will result in splitting of votes and ultimately favouring BJP.
At the conclave, Naidu reiterated his stand and said that regional forces, can only choose between Congress and BJP, and there is no way around. He asked K Rao to make a choice and become part of Congress alliance.
“Who is KCR? He was part of TDP, a minister in my government. He parted ways. He can always come back.” Naidu said referring to the fact that K Rao was once a part of TDP, which he joined under the leadership of founder NT Rama Rao. KC Rao had left TDP in 2001, and formed his own party to bolster demand of separate state of Telangana.
CM Naidu, who is trying to engineer an alliance, has remained non-committal on the PM face for it. At the conclave, he discarded Tamil Nadu DMK chief Stalin’s proposal of making Rahul Gandhi the PM face for the alliance in 2019.
“I made it very clear, we should not announce a candidate today. My stand is, post-election we will decide”, he added calling Stalin’s remark “his party’s stand” and not that of the opposition.
CM Naidu, who broke from BJP-led NDA this year, criticised Modi government of neglecting the aspirations of Andhra Pradesh’s people.
Naidu said that the BJP does not respect the democratic institutions. He accused PM Modi of misusing the government agencies like CBI and ED against his MPs, MLAs and other functionaries. When told by the journalist that according to Centre his MPs are allegedly involved in corruption, therefore, they are being raided, Naidu taunted, “Their MPs (BJP MPs) have not come from heaven. How many cases are there against Amit Shah”, he questioned.
