Naidu puts off Delhi trip, rushes aide
M S Shanker in Hyderabad
United Front convenor and Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu seems to have adopted a 'wait and watch' policy over the swift political developments in New Delhi.
Putting off his New Delhi trip, Naidu has deputed TDP politburo member V S Rao to hold parleys in the capital.
Sources said mounting pressure from the TDP leaders has forced Naidu to take the decision, leading to the cancellation of the UF core committee meeting -- which was to decide the issue of the combine's support to the Congress.
''Does the UF exist at all after the Lok Sabha election?'' a TDP leader close to Naidu told Rediff On The NeT. ''Look at the results. Except the TDP, all the regional parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham-Tamil Maanila Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu and the Asom Gana Parishad in Assam, have suffered a drubbing. With whom is he going to speak and what? Moreover, it would be embarrassing for him to argue with the Left partners.''
The leader says his partymen had advised Naidu to stay put in Hyderabad for a few more days as convening the UF would serve no purpose.
Several newly elected TDP MPs confirm Naidu's apprehensions. ''Naidu is scared of facing the Left partners as they may thrust their decision -- of backing the Congress -- on him.''
Naidu admits, ''You know, the issue is very delicate since
the parties involved are considered the TDP's enemies.''
Asked which of the two parties -- the BJP and the Congress -- is the lesser evil, he asked, ''Is this the time to harass me with such questions?''
The TDP politburo, it is learnt, has also advised Naidu to meet senior BJP leaders.
Naidu's reluctance to meet the BJP leaders seems to have triggered a humiliating experience for his brother-in-law Daggubati Venkateswara Rao who is now with the BJP.
Naidu refused to meet Rao yesterday, fearing such a meeting would spark speculation.
Rao, who supported Naidu during the August 1995 coup, later joined Lakshmi Parvati's TDP-NTR. He parted ways with Parvati, following attempts to sabotage his election to the Rajya Sabha. Remaining an Independent MP for some time, he joined the BJP just before
the LS poll.
Whatever may be the reasons for Naidu's outbursts, he is a worried man today.
Elections '98
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