Don't comment on BJP: Chandrababu Naidu cautions TDP leaders after Gujarat elections

VIJAYAWADA:  A day after the BJP swept the Gujarat elections and added Himachal Pradesh to its kitty, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday congratulated saffron party chief Amit Shah and cautioned TDP leaders not to make objectionable remarks against the party’s ally. But the Saffron party doesn’t seem to be reciprocating. Naidu, who is on a five-day private visit to the Maldives with his family members, called the BJP chief over phone and congratulated him for the BJP’s success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

According to sources, the Chief Minister is also learnt to have discussed the current political developments with the BJP chief. Interestingly, Naidu rang up Amit Shah just a few hours after warning his men not to abuse the BJP.Close on the heels of TDP MLC Y B Rajendra Prasad’s remarks of BJP leaders daydreaming of strengthening their party in the State, Naidu on Tuesday instructed party leaders to desist from making any remarks against the BJP. 

Stating that BJP is a close ally of the TDP, he wanted TDP leaders to follow the dharma of coalition. Making it clear that TDP leaders should not speak against the BJP without the consent of the party, he warned of action against those not heeding his instructions. However, state unit BJP leaders, who are on a new high, following the victory of the party in two more states, did not reciprocate. 

Maintaining that a decision over political alliances would be taken by the party leadership in New Delhi, BJP MLC Somu Veerraju, touted as a leader going tough against the TDP, once again targeted the yellow party. He said that not only BJP but the entire nation witnessed a great massacre as a result of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee sailing with TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and going for pre polls in 2013.

“Congress came to power and stymied the development of the nation for 10 years with several scams and Vajpayee remaining confined to bed,” said Veeraju and added that they never blamed Naidu for that development.Recalling that Naidu, who was associated with National Democratic Alliance since 1999, selected Prime Ministers with the help of the Congress party under National Front before Atal Bihari Vajpayee took the reigns of the Centre in 1999, the BJP MLC said Vajpayee went for pre polls as per the suggestion of Naidu, who met with an accident (Alipiri bomb blast) in 2013. 

Pre polls at the crucial time is a blunder, he added. 
Veerraju further said how later, particularly while visiting Dargas, Naidu claimed that he committed a historic mistake by forging an alliance with the BJP and asserted that he will never do the same. 
“But, when we were preparing the list of candidates who would contest on BJP tickets in 2014 elections, Naidu, who issued a statement that there would be no alliance with BJP, changed his version and proposed an alliance with our party,” he said. Veerraju sought to know how TDP leaders can level such remarks against BJP. “Whenever the BJP strengthens its base, rival parties raise the issue of Special Category status,” he said.

Not in harmony 
Naidu on Tuesday congratulated Saffron party chief Amit Shah and cautioned TDP leaders not to make objectionable remarks against the party’s ally.  BJP MLC Somu Veerraju said that not only BJP but the entire nation witnessed a great massacre as a result of then PM Vajpayee sailing with TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and going for pre polls in 2013.