Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu is a wily political leader, who doesn’t expose his thoughts so easily. Having been in political field for more than four and a half decades, he knows how to tackle tricky questions from the media.
So, when Naidu held the first press conference after winning the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, he was expecting that he would get a question from the reporters on his party’s relations with the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Expectedly, there was a question on whether he would consider the request from the INDIA block to join the alliance to form the government. He laughed it off, saying the media always looked for news and hence, would ask such questions loudly.
“I have been in politics for several years and have seen so many political changes in the country. We are in the NDA and I am going to New Delhi this afternoon to take part in the meeting of the NDA allies. I shall let you know all the details once I return from New Delhi,” Naidu said.
It was definitely a diplomatic answer. He could have straightaway said there was no question of joining the INDIA block and that he would remain committed to the alliance with the BJP. But he left it to the imagination of the reporters with such an answer.
However, sources said, Naidu reportedly conveyed to BJP election in-charge for Telangana Siddharth Nath Singh on Tuesday itself that the alliance was formed before the elections and so, the TDP will remain with the NDA.
The TDP chief credited the victory in the state assembly elections to his alliance partners – BJP and Jana Sena Party. “It is a combined effort and we are all equals.
I thank Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan to take the initiative in building up the alliance so as to prevent splitting of anti-establishment vote. The BJP also joined the mission to save democracy," he said.
