Ramdev’s praise, Bayyaram MoU cancellation make Naidu smile

 By Express News Service - HYDERABAD

12th June 2012 08:47 AM

 One day before polling is to take place for one Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly seats, Telugu Desam  president N.Chandrababu Naidu has got two reasons to smile: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev met him seeking support for the anti-corruption movement and the state government cancelled an agreement between the AP Mineral Development Corporation and Rakshana Steels, a firm allegedly promoted by YS Rajasekhara Reddy's son-in-law.

On Monday morning Baba Ramdev, as part of his anti-graft movement, called on Naidu at NTR Bhavan. It was the second time that the baba called on Naidu after launching the movement. In the evening the state government cancelled APMDC's deal with Rakshana Steels on Bayyaram iron ore mines in Khammam district.

Both the developments boosted the confidence of the TDP a day before the bypolls. Naidu's main election plank is Jagan's corruption. When Ramdev called on Naidu, the latter extended him full support and declared that the TDP would join the nation-wide anti-graft movement. The TDP has been demanding cancellation of the MoU between Rakshana steels and APMDC. Though, the Centre had cancelled the Bayyaram mine lease, the state did not do so till Sunday. In the run-up to the elections, the TDP cadre was expecting that the decision would boost its prospects in the elections. TD Parliamentary Party leader Nama Nageswara Rao was quick to demand in the evening that the Bayyaram issue also be included in CBI's probe into the disproportionate assets of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

After meeting Naidu, Ramdev heaped praise on him saying that the TDP chief was in politics with good intentions. Saying that everyone should join the fight against corruption and black money, he called for an effective Lok Pal in the country.

“There were no allegations against me though I had been in public service for the last 20 years. But, when I took up the anti-graft movement a plethora of allegations were levelled against me,'' Ramdev lamented.

TheYoga guru said several irregularities took place in the issuance of mining leases in the country.

While terming Baba Ramdev's fight as one for a "noble cause", the TDP chief said that he would also support activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption and for an effective Lok Pal.

Meanwhile, NCP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma called on Naidu and sought TDP's support to him in the presidential election. Sangma told Naidu that Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and Odisha chief minister Navin Patnaik were supporting his candidature. Sangma said a tribal should be made the next President. Though Sangma is projecting himself as a candidate, his party president Sharad Pawar has not supported his candidature and decided to abide by the collective decision of UPA. NCP is an ally of the Congress-led UPA.

Naidu is believed to have remained non-committal on support to Sangma, merely saying that the TDP Politburo would meet after the byelections to discuss the presidential election.