Naidu changes game plan amid YCP’s false cases
The TDP is expecting the ruling party to misuse the official machinery and file more false cases against its leaders in the coming days. It perceives that the YCP is giving no indications of stopping their attacks on the opposition. Amid these concerns, former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked the party cadres to get ready to counter the YCP activists wherever they are causing problems across the state.
Naidu actually maintained, since counting day, that he would wait and give six months time to react on the ruling party’s activities and programmes. But the YCP attacks are increasing in the districts. Several leaders have asked him to take immediate steps to put confidence in the party cadres.
Now Naidu changed his game plan and decided to conduct ‘Sadbhavana’ rallies soon. He told the party leaders that they cannot wait for six months because of the confrontationist attitude of the present government. He also alerted the party leaders to remain very careful as the ruling party is expected to file more and more false cases to harass the TDP activists.
Don’t stop old welfare schemes, Naidu tells Jagan
The governments may change but the welfare programmes started by them will continue usually. It happened with the Rs. 2 kg rice scheme begun by NTR and fee reimbursement started by YSR. Chandrababu Naidu now demands that the Jaganmohan Reddy government shall continue the farm loan waiver scheme given during his time. He tells Jagan to make payments towards the 4th and 5th phases of loan waiver.
Naidu made comments on various aspects of the YCP government. During an interaction with party leaders, Naidu recalled that Jagan made many complaints against alleged irregularities in irrigation projects prior to elections but now he is saying he would honour those who would give information on this. So, Jagan made all baseless allegations in the past.
Naidu said that the YCP government is also not having a clear policy as it sometimes says the project would be given to the Centre but withdraws the same statement later. Already, farmers had lost a season of growing crops. The government should take steps to save the next crop season by providing water. Efforts should be made to bring the pending Rs. 4,000 crore from the Centre to carry out developmental activities.
Jagan reversing TDP govt order on CBI may spell trouble for Naidu
In a masterstroke, the newly appointed Andhra Pradesh government led by Y.S. Jagan Reddy has reversed the decision of the previous Telugu Desam Party government allowing the Central agencies to carry out raids and investigation. This may spell serious trouble for former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his family in the coming days.
The TDP government through an order withdrew the general consent, virtually curtailing the Central agency’s powers to investigate in the state in November last year.
The general consent is routinely given by the state governments for periods ranging from six months to one year to the CBI and all agencies under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.
According to highly placed sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation, the agency may take up the investigation in eight cases where dealings worth Rs 30,000 crore are involved in the state.
Sources indicated that in September last year, a public interest litigation was filed by a retired Judge K. Sravan Kumar in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a CBI probe involving Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh for alleged corruption.
The PIL filed by the retired judge alleged that Naidu and Lokesh were involved in a case of corruption worth Rs 21,000 crore by signing fake MoUs with the companies in the name of investments.
Naidu’s son Lokesh made his political debut in May 2013. It is alleged that Lokesh was very active in Andhra Pradesh and was instrumental in most of the MoUs’ signing with various companies in the name of investment.
Even the YSR Congress Party in 2017 filed a complaint with the CBI against Lokesh alleging that he grabbed government land spread over 80 acres in Andhra Pradesh. The CBI had accepted the complaint but asked the party to seek the court’s direction for the probe as the land in question belonged to the revenue department of the Andhra Pradesh government.
Even Lokesh’s wife Nara Brahmani had come under the CBI scanner in 2011, as the agency had served her notices in connection with the purchase of a villa in Emaar Properties.
The sources indicated even Naidu’s ambitious Polavaram project is also likely to come under the central agencies’ scanner as the estimated cost of the project rose from Rs 16,010 crore to Rs 58,319.06 crore.
The construction of Andhra Pradesh capital Amravati is under the lens as it is alleged that about 33,000 acres of land under the land pooling scheme was acquired in different methods for construction of the city.
Amaravati was announced as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh on December 28, 2014.
Probe agencies’ sources said that even the land records pertaining to more than one lakh acres have gone missing in Visakhapatnam.
CBI sources said that Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Sana, who was at the centre of the CBI infighting in October last year and was also accused of bribing top CBI officials to get relief in a case was said to be a friend of Naidu.
The sources said that the irrigation projects in the Naidu regime can also spell trouble for the TDP chief as a few select companies were given government orders against all norms and regulations in the state.
Chandrababu not to attend Jagan swearing-in
Why has TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu decided not to attend the swearing-in of YCP President YS Jaganmohan Reddy? Many leaders say that there will be no respectable treatment. Moreover, Jagan didn’t attend the swearing-in of Chandrababu in 2014.
Some leaders say that Jaganmohan Reddy went with his family members to personally invite Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao but that is not the case in AP. Jagan just invited Naidu on phone call. TDP leaders feel that Jagan should have properly invited Naidu.
To fill the gap, Naidu is sending three MLAs to Jagan’s office in Tadepalli tomorrow to extend the TDP wishes to the CM-elect. TDP leaders are also of the view that it would not be advisable for Naidu to attend the swearing-in in which KCR is taking part in the Andhra soil. It’s well known that KCR is a bitter critic of both Naidu and the Andhras.
Chandrababu Naidu asks TDP cadres not to be disheartened
Nearly a week after the crushing defeat in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday asked party members not be to disheartened by the loss.
The outgoing Chief Minister along with his wife Nara Bhuvaneswari and son Nara Lokesh participated in 97th birth anniversary celebrations of his father-in-law and party founder N.T. Rama Rao at the TDP office in Guntur.
Addressing the party leaders and workers after hoisting the party flag, Naidu asked them not to get demoralized.
Paying rich tributes to NTR, as the late leader was popularly known, Naidu said he brought honour and recognition to Telugu people at the national and even international level.
He advised party leaders to follow the footsteps of NTR, who despite electoral defeats did not lose self-confidence and played the role of a constructive opposition.
He recalled that NTR was the pioneer of the welfare schemes.
Naidu said during the last four days many people came to him and said they had stood by the party for over three decades and they would remain so even in future.
Stating that the party was more important for him than the family, Naidu said he would stand by the party workers.
The 69-year-old announced that he will come to TDP office in Guntur every day and will be available to party leaders and workers for three hours.
Naidu called for analyzing the election results.
TDP’s Andhra Pradesh unit chief Kala Venkat Rao, MP Galla Jayadev and senior leaders Kodela Sivaprasada Rao and Y. Ramakrishnudu attended the celebrations.
TDP faced the worst-ever defeat in the Assembly elections at the hands of YSR Congress Party, which stormed to power with a landslide victory. TDP bagged only 23 seats in the 175-member Assembly and just three of the 25 Lok Sabha seats.
Jagan Mohan Reddy invites TDP chief for swearing-in
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-designate Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday invited TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu for his swearing-in ceremony.
Reddy called Naidu on the phone to invite him to the ceremony slated to be held on Thursday, TDP sources said.
Reddy was also learned to have sought the outgoing Chief Minister’s advise and suggestions for the state’s development.
The YSRCP chief is inviting leaders of various parties to the ceremony.
He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah in Delhi two days ago to extend an invitation. He earlier visited Hyderabad to invite Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.
The YSRCP stormed to power by winning 151 seats in 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly last week.
Is it end of the road for Chandrababu Naidu?
With his worst-ever electoral defeat in Andhra Pradesh and losing relevance in national politics, Nara Chandrababu Naidu is facing the biggest challenge of his career.
A leader, whose four-decade-long career saw his political pendulum swinging wildly from left to the right, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief last year exercised even his last option — aligning with the Congress. But this time, he ran out of both the options and the luck.
Till a day before the counting, Naidu was holding series of meetings with leaders of various regional parties, desperate to cobble together an anti-BJP alliance to remain relevant in the national politics.
He wanted to stop his friend-turned-rival Narendra Modi from returning to power even as he was facing an acid test at home against Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
At the Centre, the 69-year-old wanted to achieve what he did in 1996, when as the convenor of the United Front (UF) he brought together regional parties to prop up government of the third alternative. In 1999, he donned a similar role for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Many saw in him a shrewd politician and few branded him a rank opportunist as he aligned with the BJP, apparently to ride on the Vajpayee wave. He succeeded in retaining power, which he got in 1995 after leading a revolt against his father-in-law and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao.
Then known as the poster boy of new economic reforms, a reformist and a tech-savvy leader, Naidu mastered the skills of doing business with any formation at the Centre, irrespective of its ideology.
After losing power to his bete noire Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) in 2004 following a record 9-year stint as Andhra Pradesh chief minister, Naidu admitted his priorities were lop-sided which led to the neglect of agriculture in the state.
So he promised a slew of freebies in the 2009 elections, but the people remained unconvinced and gave YSR a fresh mandate.
The emergence of Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate in 2014 offered Naidu a chance to revive his political fortunes.
He not only joined the NDA once again but by campaigning with Modi, he succeeded in storming to power in the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh, as people preferred him, apparently for his experience in developing Hyderabad as a tech hub.
As a leader who always enjoyed the role of a kingmaker and extracted his pound of flesh from the government at the Centre, Naidu was uncomfortable in the new dispensation where Modi had absolute majority.
Though facing post-bifurcation challenges like lack of state capital and poor finances, he had no option, but to quietly accept whatever was doled out to the state.
However, it was when YSR’s son and the chief of the YSRCP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy started targeting him for his compromise over the Special Category Status (SCS) that Naidu realised how he was losing the ground to the opposition. Last year, he pulled out of NDA government accusing Modi of ‘betrayal’. BUt the opposition still remained aggressive in exposing his flip-flops over the SCS.
From a great admirer of Modi, Naidu soon turned into his worst critic and even joined hands with the Congress, his party’s sworn enemy of 35 years. This was Naidu’s biggest political misadventure and his rivals targeted him incessantly for his opportunism.
He even joined hands with the Congress in the Telangana Assembly elections, but the experiment ended in a disaster with the Congress-led United People’s Alliance (UPA) biting the dust.
The flip-flops continued as he decided not to have an alliance with the Congress in Andhra Pradesh thereafter, even as he continued his efforts for an anti-BJP front at the Centre led by the Congress.
“He was shifting goal-posts time and again on various issues. The opposition played it in a big way and voters were also watching all this,” said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief’s ‘padyatra’ and his party’s aggressive campaign promising a wide range of freebies also rattled Naidu. His announcements of welfare schemes and even the implementation of some of them were too late to convince the voters.
The allegations of corruption, casteism also dented Naidu’s image and ultimately led to his worst-ever poll performance winning just three Lok Sabha seats..
A second term for Modi with a massive majority also dashed Naidu’s hopes of salvaging some pride with a role at the Centre.
With his son Nara Lokesh suffering defeat, Naidu’s dream of grooming him as his political successor was also shattered.
“Naidu is already 69, and he may not find himself in the same physical and mental shape to lead the party campaign five years later,” said Raghavendra Reddy.
God has punished Chandrababu Naidu, says Jagan
YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is set to take oath as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister next week, on Saturday said God has punished TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu for his misdeeds.
Addressing the newly-elected legislators of his party, Jagan Reddy said Andhra Pradesh election results showed that those who resort to unethical and unjust means will definitely be punished by God.
Jagan, as the young leader is popularly known, said after 2014 elections Naidu “purchased” 23 MLAs of YSRCP. “Now TDP got only 23 seats and the results also came on May 23. The God has written a beautiful script with 23,” said Jagan, who is the son of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Jagan also pointed out that Naidu illegally took away three MPs of YSRCP and now his party got only three Lok Sabha seats.
YSRCP stormed to power, winning 151 seats in the 175-member Assembly. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) could secure 23 seats.
YSRCP also won 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats while TDP could get only three.
Jagan said the electoral victory achieved by YSRCP deserved to be written with golden words. He said securing 50 per cent votes was not an ordinary achievement.
The YSRCP leader told his party MLAs to work hard to live up to the faith people reposed in the party with a resounding mandate. “We should keep in mind that our victory in 2024 will depend on how we perform in these five years,” he said.
Jagan said he would bring major reforms in governance and promised that he would deliver good governance which the entire country would look up to.
He also addressed newly-elected Lok Sabha members of his party separately and said achieving special category status to Andhra Pradesh remained the party’s number one goal.
He asked party MPs to work hard to fulfil the promises made to the people during the polls.
Chandrababu Naidu resigns as Andhra Pradesh CM
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday resigned following his Telugu Desam Party’s defeat in Assembly elections.
Naidu sent his resignation to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, who accepted it and asked Naidu to continue till alternate arrangements were made.
The Governor is set to invite YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to form the government.
The YSRCP has won or leading in 149 seats in 175-member Assembly.
YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced that he will take oath as the Chief Minister on May 30.
Chandrababu majority comes down
TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu won with a majority of around 30,000 votes in Kuppam assembly segment. This is less than half of what TDP leaders projected for Naidu victory. The TDP is stunned at the reduced majority of the party president.
Naidu has put a lot of effort into the development of Kuppam. All villages have cement roads and drinking water supply schemes. The welfare schemes have also been implemented with full benefits passed on to the people. Based on this, TDP expected above 70,000 majority in Kuppam. It’s surprising for the TDP that the YCP got good results in Godavari districts as well.
Security tightened at Naidu, Jagan homes ahead of counting
A day ahead of counting of votes for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, police on Wednesday stepped up security at the residences of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the state capital region Amaravati.
Police deployed additional personnel at the residences of Naidu, who is also the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President, and Reddy in Tadepally block of Guntur district.
With mixed exit poll predictions generating political heat in the state, both parties have expressed apprehensions that the other might resort to violence during counting on Thursday.
As a large number of party leaders and workers are expected to reach the offices-cum-residences of Naidu and Reddy, police have beefed up security to prevent any untoward incident. The security personnel were erecting barricades and making plans for traffic diversions.
Since the capital region is surrounded by several districts, police anticipate that elected candidates and leaders could descend on the houses of their respective party chiefs.
In addition to 50 policemen from Guntur district, two companies of Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force each were deployed at the two places.
Naidu already enjoys ‘Z plus’ category security and his security detail includes members from the elite National Security Guard (NSG) apart from Andhra Pradesh Police’s Intelligence Security Wing.
Reddy’s security was also beefed up after the knife attack by a youth at Visakhapatnam Airport last year.
Elections to the 175-member state Assembly and the state’s 25 Lok Sabha seats were held on April 11. The exit polls have made mixed predictions. While some have projected victory for YSRCP, others have predicted that the TDP will retain power.
This was the first full-fledged Parliament elections in Andhra Pradesh as the 2014 polls were conducted in the undivided state. Telangana came into being as a new state on June 2, 2014.
While Naidu had shifted base from Hyderabad to Amaravati in 2015, Reddy and his party moved to the Andhra Pradesh capital in March this year.
Confident of coming to power in the state this time, Reddy, along with his family, moved to his house at Tadepally on Wednesday. YSRCP leaders said he would remain there on the counting day and monitor the results along with top party leaders.
21 Opposition parties to meet in Delhi on Tuesday
Two days ahead of the counting of votes for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 21 Opposition parties will meet on Tuesday here to discuss the possibilities of a non-NDA alliance.
The meeting of the 21 opposition parties will be held at the Constitution Club here at 1.30 p.m., Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sources said on Monday.
The meeting will be attended by the several senior Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPI-M, AAP, NCP, National Conference, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, DMK, Janata Dal-Secular and the TDP.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, as part of his efforts to unite the opposition in the last four days, held meetings with the leaders of several parties in the national capital, Lucknow and Kolkata.
Naidu had met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury in the national capital.
He met BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow.
The TDP leader also met his West Bengal counterpart in Kolkata on Monday evening.
Naidu has been moving across the country in a bid to unite them and form an alliance to stake claim in case the NDA fails to get majority.
Naidu ‘cent per cent’ sure of TDP retaining power in Andhra
Unfazed by the exit polls which predicted that the YSR Congress Party will storm to power in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said he was “cent per cent” sure of his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) retaining power.
He told a news conference that he had not even remotest doubt about the TDP’s victory in the elections.
The TDP supremo believes that the welfare and development programmes undertaken by his government during the last five years would help it get a fresh mandate.
Naidu claimed that on his appeal, Andhra Pradesh voters living in Telangana rushed to the state by whatever mode of transport available and stood in queues till 4.30 a.m. the next day to cast their votes.
Earlier, during a teleconference with TDP leaders, Naidu predicted that the party will win 110 seats in the 175-member Assembly. “Our seats may even go up to 120-130,” he said.
Expressing confidence that of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the TDP will bag 18-20, he alleged that some people were playing mind games to create confusion.
Most of the exit polls on Sunday predicted that the YSRCP will come to power in Andhra Pradesh with 110-130 seats. However, three exit polls including one by former MP L. Rajagopal projected victory for the TDP.
Similarly, a majority of the exit polls gave the YSRCP 12-15 Lok Sabha seats and the TDP 10-13.
The IANS-CVOTER exit poll predicted 14 seats for TDP while giving 11 to its main rival YSRCP.
Naidu had tweeted late Sunday that time and again exit polls failed to catch the people’s pulse.
He recalled that exit polls in 2014 had also predicted victory for the YSRCP. “Then the exit polls were one-sided but this time they are mixed. I don’t know why YSRCP leaders are happy,” he said.
Naidu said it had become a habit for people to do surveys. He claimed that the TDP has been doing surveys for the last 35 years not just about elections but also about the impact of welfare and development programmes.
Opposition still feels NDA will fall short, says alternative needs to be ready
Even as the exit polls predicted a majority for the ruling NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition camp is convinced that the BJP-led coalition will fall short of numbers, due to which they are making an effort to cobble up an alternative.
Ahead of the declaration of actual results on May 23, TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been reaching out to various non-BJP parties as part of efforts to stitch up a coalition that could form a government at the Centre if the NDA fails to cross the majority mark of 272 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
Despite the exit polls giving a clear majority to the NDA, Naidu on Monday met Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.
Earlier, he had meet UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, SP President Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati and CPI’s Sudhakar Reddy and D. Raja over the last few days.
A leader of the Opposition camp said the meetings that Naidu is holding with various Opposition leaders were “informal consultations” to assess the situation.
On Sunday night, Naidu rubbished the exit polls, saying such predictions have “time and again” failed to catch the pulse of the people.
“While undoubtedly TDP govt will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP govt at the center (sic),” Naidu had tweeted.
Banerjee also slammed the exit polls, calling them “gossip”.
“I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together,” she had tweeted.
Raja, while refusing to believe the exit polls, told IANS on Monday that the “exact” poll results will have to be seen.
“Exit polls are not exact polls, as Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said,” he said.
The CPI leader said the Left will decide on its role only after the actual results are declared.
“The idea is to get all secular, democratic parties together… Time has come to remove the BJP from power,” Raja, who met Naidu on Saturday last, said.
“Despite claims by the BJP that it will get full majority, the party will not have the numbers to form the government.
“There is a situation for all of us to get together and get our act together without loss of time to be in a position to provide an alternative to the NDA,” he asserted.
On the question of who would be the Prime Minister of such an alliance of regional parties, he said it will be decided through consensus after the election results are declared.
The Communist leader said the parties at regional or state level, despite their differences, are all convinced about the need to oust the BJP and “save the Constitution and save the secular democracy”.
Regional parties like the DMK, the TDP, the RJD and the TMC are already committed against the BJP and so are the SP and the BSP, he said.
Raja said he is in touch with Akhilesh Yadav and he agrees that the BJP should go.
Talking about the Congress, he said the Left was critical of Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala against the CPI-M but indicated that it now tends to ignore that.
“Congress too was not fully convinced about Rahul contesting from there (Wayanad). That is why he (Rahul) said he will not utter a word against the Left,” he said.
Regarding the BJD, the TRS and the YSRCP, he said they will decide their stand after the results.
Asked what Naidu approaching leaders of various parties means, Raja said the TDP chief is using his earlier experience (of United Front days) as well as his equation with them.
Naidu was the convener of the United Front which had formed the government at the Centre in 1996 after the Congress failed to get a majority. The Congress had extended its support from outside.
Asked whether the 1996 experiment would be repeated, he said that was a different situation as it was the Congress which had been defeated then.
On who would be the PM candidate of such an alliance, Raja said: “This question is not under discussion as of now. We are not ruling out anybody. It is to be discussed when the numbers come before us. It will be decided on the basis of consensus.”
When pointed out that Mayawati has already made clear her desire to be the PM, he said: “What anyone may say individually does not matter.”
Asked to comment on efforts by KCR to build a “Federal Front”, the Communist leader frowned upon this idea.
“What is a Federal Front? CPM, CPI are for federalism. Congress is not saying it is opposed to federalism. Federal Front is a misnomer. It can’t be a regional front of three-four parties. Then call it a Regional Front,” he said.
“We want communal forces out of power. We can’t lose time. We will have to act.”
Chandrababu Naidu to continue efforts for non-BJP coalition
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said he would continue his efforts to forge a non-BJP coalition till May 23, the day of counting of votes.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief told reporters before leaving for Kolkata to meet West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee that he will continue the efforts to take them to a logical conclusion.
Naidu, who had held a series of meeting during last two days with several leaders including United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, said the efforts were aimed at forging an alternative.
“I met all so that a collective decision is taken. I will continue my efforts till May 23,” he said.
Naidu reiterated that time and again exit polls failed to catch the people’s pulse.
“Exit polls have proved to be incorrect and far from ground reality in many instances,” he had tweeted Sunday after majority of the exit polls shows BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form the government by winning about 300 seats.
“While undoubtedly TDP govt will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP govt at the center,” he said in another tweet.
Naidu slammed the Election Commission, saying it lost its credibility by its actions like giving clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.
He reiterated that the Electronic Voting Machines can be manipulated and demanded that the poll body count VVPAT slips to bring transparency in the system and create confidence among people.
Naidu said he would consult Banerjee and other leaders before taking a decision on whether to stage a sit-in at the Election Commission or make a representation to the President.
The TDP chief said despite the doubts expressed by 23 parties on the functioning of EVMs, the Election Commission was making no effort to ensure transparency and accountability in the system.
Naidu said the EVMs could be manipulated remotely and hence the parties were demanding counting of VVPAT slips.
He said the fact that so many parties were concerned about the safety of EVMs was a bad indication for democracy. “In my 40-year political career I never saw this kind of situation,” he said.
Exit polls failed to catch people’s pulse: TDP chief Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said time and again exit polls have failed to catch the pulse of the people.
“Exit polls have proved to be incorrect and far from ground reality in many instances,” the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief tweeted after a majority of exit polls favoured the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form the government by winning about 300 seats.
“While undoubtedly TDP govt will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP govt at the center,” Naidu said.
Naidu also reiterated the demand that the Election Commission count voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips in at least 50 per cent of the polling stations.
“VVPATs should be counted in five polling stations in each Assembly constituency at the beginning of the counting process. In case of discrepancy, all VVPATs of Assembly constituencies should be counted,” he said.
TDP seeks action against PM Modi
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday took strong objection to the telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s activities in Kedarnath and Badrinath, saying it was a “clear violation” of the election Model Code of Conduct as voters could be influenced during the last phase of Lok Sabha polls and attacked the Election Commission for being a “mute spectator”.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also demanded action against the Prime Minister for talking about “betting” during his press conference, saying it amounted to promotion of the unlawful activity.
In a letter to the Election Commission, he said Modi’s all private activities during his visit to Badrinath and Kedarnath were being telecast on news channels continuously, which is “a clear violation of Model Code of Conduct and comes under indirect canvassing, influencing the voters through a person’s religious belief and public display of his personal religious activities”.
He said the EC has been a “mute spectator”, further strengthening the public belief that it has different sets of rules for the Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) .
The TDP chief said if the telecast of Modi’s activities does not stop, it could “affect the level playing field” envisaged by the MCC, which the Commission is “duty-bound to implement”.
“Therefore, I earnestly request the Election Commission of India, to immediately stop such delusive, unfair and immoral campaign and direct all the concerned, to refrain from doing any activity that influences the voters directly or indirectly, and issue immediate directions to the concerned authorities to ensure strictest compliance of model code of conduct, and level playing field on the clay of polling,” Naidu said.
He also referred to Modi’s press conference held on Friday where he said “that people faced huge losses as they bet big on a particular party in 2014 Lok Sabha elections on the basis ‘satta’ market predictions”.
“It is alarming that the Prime Minister of a democratic country is making a mention of an illegal occupation subsequently supporting and promoting the unlawful business in the country,” Naidu’s letter said..
The letter also mentioned the views reportedly expressed by Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa over the clean chits given to Modi for his four speeches and to BJP President Amit Shah for his one speech.
“The callousness showed by ECI in not considering minority’s decision is arbitrary and is not befitting the stature of the office of Election Commission. This clearly depicts erosion of institutional integrity,” reads the letter.
Naidu visiting allies – Modi visiting temples
A very interesting spectacle is unfolding on the national electoral scene on the day of exit polls. On the one side, PM Modi is visiting temples in the Himalayas to relax after weeks of hard campaigning schedules. On the other side, TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu is making rounds to the residences of opposition leaders to keep them united on a day when exit polls threaten to make or mar chances forming a strong anti-Modi alliance.
The national media is full of pictures of Modi offering prayers as well as Chandrababu Naidu meeting Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav separately. Modi is the prime ministerial candidate for the NDA and he remains the central figure of the BJP. The opposition has no such unifying factor till Chandrababu volunteered to fill the gap which he has done successfully so far. The TDP leaders are growing confident of Naidu’s success in his efforts. They are commenting that Chandrababu’s entry into national politics has changed the game dramatically which is why Modi is under lot of stress and looking for mental peace by visiting temples.
