Chandrababu Naidu resolves to play bigger role to dislodge NDA govt

Amaravati: As the BJP national leadership becomes more hostile, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is learnt to have firmed up his resolve to hit back at it by bringing together all the parties at national level which are against the BJP.  

The Chief Minister, who is rattled by Delhi's moves to drive a wedge between him and his Telangana counterpart to keep them divided, wants to pay back Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the same coin.

The IT raids on Revanth Reddy who is an accused in cash-for-vote scam that rocked Telangana state in 2015 appears to be weighing heavily on Naidu's mind since it was alleged that Revanth who was in TDP then went to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson and offered him Rs.50 lakh seeking support to TDP candidate in the elections to the Legislative Council then.

Later, on a TV channel, a conversion between two persons was aired, attributing it to Chandrababu Naidu and Stephenson, in which the voice purported to be Naidu’s, promised to take care of the MLA’s future needs.

The ACB registered a case and arrested Revanth Reddy who later came out on bail. Now the IT department is in the thick of questioning Revanth Reddy, with questions as to how and where he got Rs. 50 lakh which he offered to the nominated MLA.

The Congress has alleged that IT raids on Revanth Reddy's residence was at the instance of the political leadership at the Centre after a request from KCR to this effect. 

Naidu, who is eager to give Modi a taste of his own medicine, is expected to interact with leaders of all parties which are against the BJP  to forge unity among them to dislodge the NDA at the centre for good.

It would be a test to his persuasive skills in roping in all the anti-BJP parties which are either anti-BJP and anti-Congress or only anti-BJP and pro-Congress.

For instance, the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Rastriya Janata Dal in Bihar, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh have been working against BJP, individually but have their reservations about the Congress.

They may or may not want the Congress be part of the alliance. At the same time, parties including Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka and Telangana Jana Samiti in Telangana are with the Congress. The CPI may not have any problem in joining hands with the Congress. The CPM may not play the ball though both the left parties are dead against the BJP.

The TDP sources said that Chandrababu Naidu is determined to emerge as a leader who would be able to influence the decision of who should be the next prime minister after the elections. 

After coming to the conclusion that his skills are still intact in dealing with the Opposition parties, Naidu now wants to play a bigger role in dislodging the NDA.  It is expected that the Naidu would let the TDP MPs know his line of thinking at the TDP Parliamentary party meeting scheduled on Saturday.