Moments of unity

​New Delhi: ‘Democratic compulsion’ has made the TDP and Congress to set aside its bitter history for the first proper meeting on Thursday in Delhi between TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu and the AICC president Rahul Gandhi.

From the fast-paced developments that took place in Delhi since morning, it is clear that the mantle of bringing all anti-BJP forces in the country together has fallen on Naidu, who is no stranger to such responsibilities as he himself was the convener of United Front in 1996.

After a meeting which lasted for more than 90 minutes with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, Naidu appeared confident of crafting a coalition of anti-BJP parties which wear their hatred for Narendra Modi and BJP on their sleeves.

“We have to free the nation from the stranglehold of the BJP. This is our primary concern as of now. Under the NDA rule, a lot of harm has already been done to the nation,” Naidu said adding: “As leader of AP I am happy with the Congress since it had pledged its support for special category status.”

Naidu pointed out that the immediate challenge was in facing the danger to the nation from the BJP. “The endeavour now is to save the nation and save democracy. We are not after power. We want to lend our shoulders to the effort to protect and perpetuate democracy and the institutions founded on it,” Chandrababu Naidu said and pointed out that a synergy among anti-BJP parties was necessary to throw the BJP out, he said.

The two leaders announced that there would be a wide-ranging meeting with all anti-BJP parties soon at Delhi where an effort would be made to evolve a common minimum programme. Naidu said he would also meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and DMK leaders in next couple of days. In fact AP Bhavan in Delhi is going to become the hub for the political activity in the days to come.

As regards Rafale scam, Rahul Gandhi reiterated that the truth should come out: “It is certain that a scam has taken place. Nation wants to know where all the money had gone.”. He expressed unhappiness over the way institutions like the CBI had been eroded which alone could probe such high-profile scams. Naidu made it clear that Rahul will lead the attack on Rafale while other opposition parties will take up other issues. At no point, neither leader dropped any clue as to who the face of the new alliance would be. Nitty-gritties of the coalition will be worked out later, they said.

They expressed concern over the erosion of the institutions like the CBI, RBI and ED. Naidu, on the occasion, bared in his angst against the way the NDA dispensation had been misusing the office of the governor in Andhra Pradesh and wanted an immediate halt to the erosion of the gubernatorial offices.

Naidu and Rahul looked quite comfortable in each other’s presence. Though Naidu was curt at times, Rahul Gandhi was more gentle, prevaricating questions often while taking others with aplomb and with a sense of sangfroid while Naidu was rather assertive when it came to queries which sought to pin him down on who would be the leader of the coalition that is in the making.

When Naidu arrived, Rahul Gandhi came out and received him and presented a shawl to him, which came as a surprise to many as he is the leader of national party with presence in all states while Naidu is leading a party in only one state which had shrunk in size after bifurcation in 2014.

Naidu reciprocated by presenting Rahul Gandhi with a replica of veena, an instrument close to the hearts of the music connoisseurs in Andhra Pradesh, and honoured him with a shawl. After the meeting, Rahul, breaking the tradition which he followed for years came out with Naidu and addressed the media-persons.