All non-BJP parties to come on to a common platform: Chandrababu

Throwing his weight behind the ongoing Congress efforts to cobble up a viable alternative to the BJP at the Centre, TDP national president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday announced that he would be meeting the grand old party’s president Rahul Gandhi during his second visit to New Delhi in less than a week on Thursday.

Addressing party leaders and workers here, Naidu said he would “impress upon Rahul Gandhi the need to bring together all non-BJP parties on to a common platform” and made it crystal clear that he was looking at forming an  “organisation” of sorts which could mean a United or National Front of different regional parties supported by the Congress. This could also mean that the TDP would sail with the Congress in AP in next year’s elections.

It already has a tie-up with the party in Telangana. Clarifying that he was not after power, the Chief Minister recalled that he had twice rejected the coveted prime minister’s post in the 1990s and asserted that he was taking the lead to dethrone the Modi regime as the latter had been damaging autonomous institutions like the CBI, and RBI among others besides destroying the country’s economy. “I will meet Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and try to bring him on to a common platform to usher in a new political system in the country,” Naidu said and as if dispelling qualms among TDP leaders and workers over aligning with the Congress, he stressed, “this is a democratic compulsion.”

Naidu said he had already met AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, and BSP supremo Mayawati during his last visit to the national capital. “I am in touch with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, held talks with CPM leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury... CPI leaders, and Sharad Yadav too. I will meet Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah and am also in contact with former PM Deve Gowda. I will also talk to DMK and AIADMK,” he explained.

His remarks on his increasing national role were preceded by a lengthy explanation on the reasons for it. Citing the BJP-led government’s alleged failures, he accused the saffron party of unilaterally severing ties with the TDP in Telangana and the Centre’s intimidating tactics.