by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Special report
PM's call halted Naidu's NDA exit
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, March 9
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phone call to Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu helped in containing some damage as TDP deferred its decision to quit the NDA.
Highly placed sources said that the PM called up Naidu after the TDP ministers submitted their resignations and requested him to reconsider the painful decision.
Naidu reported to have said, "I waited for four years patiently that something will be done as promised in the reorganisation of Act of the state and promises will be fulfilled. Now I cannot reverse the resignations. But if you want to do something for the state, you have the opportunity to do so.”
Modi promised to revert back to him following which Naidu deferred his decision to quit the government only. A directive was also issued to all TDP Mps and ministers who had quit the government not to speak a word against the BJP or even the Modi government.
In fact, the language of the two TDP ministers after they submitted their resignations was so guarded that they merely termed it a “divorce due to circumstances.” It was neither here nor there. Obviously, the PM will have to take a political call on the issue and grant some relief which may be a “face-saver” for Naidu to change his stance.
There seem to be some re-thinking on the part of the BJP while dealing with Andhra affairs. Therefore, if it was Naidu who frantically calling up the PM on Wednesday, on Thursday, it was PM's turn to assuage the hurt Naidu by reaching out to him. It transpires that Modi and BJP president Amit Shah reviewed the political situation arising out of developments in Andhra. Shah is a hard-liner and believes in rebuilding the BJP in Andhra Pradesh and doesn't believe in surrendering to the regional parties. The local unit of the BJP is completely against Naidu and wanted to break the alliance since the beginning. The BJP has also received feelers from the YSR Congress though it may not enter into any pre-poll alliance with it.
Amit Shah wants to send a clear message to the cadre that the party can't be bullied by anybody whosoever he may be. However, the PM is of the view that TDP has been a pre-poll ally and divorce should not end up in a disaster. Hence, the phone call and efforts to retrieve the situation.
How far these efforts will succeed is too early to say as Naidu thinks that he will swing the 2019 polls on BJP's betrayal plant.
