Babu moves to play kingmaker again

V V Balakrishna
Express News Service
Last Updated : 09 Mar 2012 11:53:03 AM IST

HYDERABAD: The outcome of the Assembly elections in five states has rejuvenated the hopes of Telugu Desam to play a key role in formation of a formidable third front at the national level. TDP was the only party in the country which was recognised as the main opposition in the Lok Sabha in 1984. It played a key role in the formation of National Front and United Front governments at the Centre.

Analysing the outcome of the elections in five states, the TDP is of the view that the Congress is fast declining in national politics and the BJP is not growing as fast to fill the space. On the other hand, the regional parties are becoming very strong, Naidu feels that the next government in Delhi will be formed by the third front made up of regional parties.

Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who had played a catalytic role in the formation of anti-Congress governments at the Centre, is in touch with Naveen Patnaik, Jayalalithaa, Mulaym Singh Yadav, Mamata Benerjee and other leaders.

Naidu, however, does not have the ambition of becoming prime minister in case the third front forms government at the Centre. “My services and abilities will be utilised for Andhra Pradesh,” Naidu clarifies, saying that he is interested in becoming chief minister once again.

But a friendly government at the Centre will help the TDP, if it is voted to power, to secure more funds and schemes to the state.

“Though people elected a huge number of Congress MPs in 2009, they failed to pressure the Centre for required funds,” a TDP leader alleges.

Naidu is banking on the Left and other regional parties in his mission to forge a new front and bring it to power at the Centre but some leaders like Dadi Veerabhadra Rao suggest moving closer to the BJP to achieve the goal of keeping the Congress out of power.

That is why Naidu is talking of “cooperative federalism” these days. It means that if the third front of regional parties falls short of the magic figure in the Lok Sabha, he wants the BJP to extend outside support to the third front government, a throwback to the National Front days.

Despite the strong presence of the TRS in Telangana and of YSR Congress in Andhra and Rayalaseema, the TDP supremo is confident that people will give the TDP a decisive victory next time.

Meanwhile, while touring Jagadevipeta in Kovur on Thursday to canvass for his party candidate Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy Nellore, TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu admitted he had neglected the agricultural sector during his party’s nine-year rule of the state and it had proved costly and kept him out of power for eight years now.

Naidu said that had he maintained good relations with farmers and provided them with seven hours of free power supply, he would have continued in power.