After meeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 18 May, to discuss firming up the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu met with Gandhi as well as with NCP president Sharad Pawar, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati, reported The Times of India.
This is widely believes to be part of the TDP’s chief’s efforts to unite non-NDA parties to form a united Opposition and possibly stake claim to form the next government.
The TDP chief on Sunday also met with CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. On Saturday, Naidu had met CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja before heading to meet Gandhi in New Delhi.
On Saturday, Gandhi and Naidu reportedly discussed the impending need to bring together all parties that are against the BJP after the Lok Sabha election results are declared on 23 May.
Quoting sources, news agency PTI reported that Naidu told Gandhi to have a strategy ready in case the BJP falls short of numbers, and still stakes claim to form government.
After his hour-long meeting with Gandhi on Saturday, Naidu also flew up to Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow to meet Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Mayawati, who are in a grand alliance in the state. According to NDTV, the TDP chief gifted the duo boxes of mangoes.
Nadu is also reportedly in touch with Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the possibility of stitching together an anti-BJP front to keep the saffron party at bay.
(With inputs from TOI, NDTV)
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