TDP chief meets Maya, Akhilesh & Rahul to lay strategy in case NDA falls short of majority

A day before the last phase of polling on Sunday, leaders of Opposition parties stepped up efforts to cobble up a coalition for the formation of the next Government. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu met with leaders of Congress, CPI, NCP and others in the national Capital and also called on BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow.

Naidu met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and discussed with him the possibilities of all Opposition parties uniting and forging a joint Opposition alliance. Sources said Naidu told Rahul to have a strategy ready, in case the NDA falls short of the majority mark and still stakes claim to form the Government. Naidu’s TDP had been a part of the NDA, but quit the alliance a few months ago.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also met CPI leader G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja over breakfast, asking them to “come together”. Also, Naidu met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and LJD leader Sharad Yadav.

In Lucknow, Naidu called on Akhilesh and Mayawati separately. The SP, BSP and RLD are in alliance in UP, taking on the BJP in the politically crucial State that sends 80 MPs to Parliament.

Naidu drove straight from Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh airport to the Samajwadi Party office. He was greeted with a bouquet by Akhilesh. The two leaders then went into a closed door meeting, SP sources said. Later, Naidu drove to Mayawati’s Mall Road Avenue residence.

Sources said Naidu is believed to conveyed all the leaders that “we all should come together and put our act together” in forming the next government by keeping the BJP out from Centre.

The TDP chief has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in his earlier meetings.

A day earlier Naidu had said not only the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) but any outfit which is against the saffron party are welcome to join a grand alliance after the election results are declared.

Opposition parties are pitching for a joint anti-BJP front to steer the next Government. Hectic deliberations between various Opposition leaders are likely to stepped up before the Lok Sabha results are announced on May 23. 

Amid the efforts to bring all non-NDA parties together, Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy urged Congress and his party members not to give controversial statements against each other. Former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H D Devegowda said they are all together and with the Congress in forming the next Government.

“We are on the verge of formation of a new Government at the Centre. At this juncture where all efforts are being made to form a non-BJP Government at the Centre, the contradictory statements by leaders of coalition partners may mar such efforts,” the Karnataka CM tweeted.  There has been a war of words between the Congress and its alliance partners JD(S) in Karanataka for some time now.

Opposition leaders also took swipes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not taking any questions at a Press conference on Friday and diverting them to BJP chief Amit Shah. While former UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav tweeted a picture of three wise monkeys covering their eyes, ears and mouth with their hands, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference  leader Omar Abdullah also took to Twitter to say, “Amit Shah doesn’t forget to thank the embedded BJP workers disguised as journalists.”

Questioning the Prime Minister for his “silence” at the Press conference, CPI leader D Raja said, “What was in the press conference? The Prime Minister should have answered the pointed question posed to him on the Rafale issue.” Former home minister and senior leader P Chidambaram said, “PM ‘addresses’ press conference. Who is the wit who said ‘silence can be eloquent’? PM’s press conference was proof of that statement.”