N Chandrababu Naidu is once again eyeing the role of a king-maker at the national level. The Telugu Desam Party president and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday exuded confidence that Third Front comprising non-Congress, non-BJP parties will form the next Government at the Centre.
Talking to the mediapersons in Hyderabad on Sunday, a day before TDP’s annual conference Mahanadu will open for crucial discussions, Naidu said that 2014 elections will be a repeat of 1996, 1998 and 1999 results.
“We will play a major role in the formation of a Third Front Government,” Naidu said, adding that he was already talking to the leaders of many political parties. “The process has started,” he said without elaborating or naming any party or leader.
Naidu said while the Congress-led UPA had weakened and lost credibility due to spate of scams, the BJP-led NDA had failed to pick up. “The regional parties on the other hand have become stronger and they will provide a better alternative,” he said.
He ruled out possibility of any alliance with the BJP. “From the beginning, ours was a secular party. In the past we had alliance with the BJP and extended outside support to its Government at the Centre. But it caused a lot of damage to us. So we will not have any tie-up with the party,” he said.
Naidu was, however, open to have a tie-up with both the left parties CPI and CPI(M) at the State level.
Naidu said that he was working for the formation of a Third Front in the interest of the country and to provide good governance to ensure faster economic development and people friendly policies. But he ruled out himself in the role of Prime Minister. “I am not an aspirant for the post. I was never interested in it. I will be able to work out a consensus more effectively if I am not in the race,” he said.
When asked whether the Third Front will project its own Prime Ministerial candidate against BJP’s Narendra Modi and any candidate of the Congress, Naidu said, “In present circumstances, it will be a difficult task to name somebody. It will defeat the purpose. But we will try to form a pre-poll and post-poll alliance and chose the leader at the suitable time,” he said.
Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Naidu said that he had completely lost credibility as he was heading a most corrupt regime and he was keeping silent. Naming a series of scams including 2G, Commonwealth Games and Coalgate, Naidu said that in all those cases it was Supreme Court or the CAG who
forced the Government to act. Naidu also blamed the Manmohan Singh Government’s leniency for the IPl scandal and spot-fixing.
About the prospects in Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said that he was confident of returning to power with a thumping majority as the people were fed up with the scam-tainted Congress Government. “The Congress rule has turned out to be disastrous for the State, its people and the economy,” he said.
He said that in public perception there was no difference between the Congress and the YSR Congress as both of them were responsible for creating the present mess. “Even the TRS has a limited presence in Telangana and we are going to win a majority of seats even in Telangana,” he said.
Naidu demanded immediate removal of all the State Ministers facing corruption charges. “When you can remove the two Central Ministers on corruption charges why can’t you
remove the Ministers who have been chargesheeted by the CBI,” he said.
He threatened that the TDP will not allow the Assembly to function if tainted Ministers were not thrown out. Even after the acceptance of resignations of two chargesheeted Ministers, Naidu said that the TDP will continue to fight till the removal of five other tainted Ministers.
Naidu had ruled Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004 and since then occupies the post of leader of Opposition in the Assembly. He was known as “CEO of AP” for his corporate style of functioning and his urban-development focus.