Naidu gets Murmu to his party meeting

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who played a key role in the national politics till a decade ago, could finally succeed in getting NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu to attend the party meeting organised in her support.

The TDP had extended its support to the NDA candidate only on Monday, after Murmu’s schedule was finalised. As per the original schedule, Murmu would meet Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party MLAS and MPs in the afternoon and leave for Hyderabad in the evening.

She was originally scheduled to meet BJP MLAs and MPs in Hyderabad in the evening and reach Delhi for the night. However, Chandrababu Naidu wanted Murmu to meet the TDP MPs and MLAs, though a small number in the electoral college.

But meeting the candidate on her visit to the state was an important development and a politically well-designed strategy for Chandrababu Naidu. Since the announcement of his party’s support and the finalisation of her schedule in Vijayawada, the TDP chief pulled every string to get his plan worked.

Succumbing to the pressures, the BJP national leadership had agreed to include TDP meeting in Murmu’s schedule in Vijayawada hours before she left Delhi on Tuesday. On getting confirmation, Chandrababu Naidu flew in a chartered flight from Hyderabad to Vijayawada.

The party organised the meeting in a star hotel and local MP Kesineni Nani, who has some connections in the BJP conducted the show. Finally, BJP Minister Kishan Reddy, BJP AP unit president Somu Veerraju have shared the dais with Chandrababu Naidu, almost after eight years!