The growing proximity between Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu and Congress president Rahul Gandhi was evident on Tuesday. At the historic town of Kurnool, which also served as the first capital of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the mutual respect was in the form of unspoken words and missing protests. Rahul Gandhi attended a public meeting at a college ground where the gathering was impressive. In his 40-minute speech not once did he utter the name of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu or spoke about the TDP rule. He chose to place the entire blame on BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This scene is in contrast to what had happened last year when Rahul, as vice president of Congress, came to Guntur to attend ‘Pratyeka Hoda Bharosa Sabha’. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav were invited as guests. After he landed, Rahul was shown black flags by slogan-raising TDP cadre while on his way to Guntur. At the same meet, Rahul clubbed Babu with Modi and accused the NDA of failing the people.
At today’s meeting in Kurnool, Rahul chose a different line.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that special category status for ten years will be given to Andhra Pradesh once they come to power. It has been four years but he has not taken one step forward to the commitment made by Indian government back then,” said Rahul, “and when the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi does not give Andhra Pradesh what is Andhra Pradesh’s right then he disrespects the people and leaders of Andhra Pradesh from the past.”
The Congress president stressed on the important projects sanctioned by the Congress during their rule. He also promised that the first thing they will do if they come to power in 2019 is to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
In the neighbouring Telangana state, the TDP and Congress are working on a pre-poll alliance after the assembly was dissolved by the TRS cabinet. Political foes for decades, the Congress and TDP will most likely join hands to fight the YSR Congress Party in the 2019 state and general elections.
