A day after the no-confidence motion was brought by the Telugu Desam Party, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu advocated the strengthening of regional parties.
Mr. Naidu said that though the TDP would play a national role, he himself was not a contender for any post in Delhi. “I want to strengthen the regional parties whether it is the party of Mamata, Mayawati, Akhilesh or Kumaraswamy, then India will have a better future,” he told The Hindu, in response to a query on where he sees his party in 2019.
Mr. Naidu reached New Delhi on Saturday, a day after the no-confidence motion brought by his party was defeated 325-126.
‘No grudges’
Asked for his reaction on the BJD walking out before the debate and the AIADMK voting in favour of the government, Mr. Naidu said he did not hold any grudges. “In India, political parties have their own compulsions. If some party takes up an issue, we can’t complain. Today, my compulsion is to fight, they may have a different compulsion. It is not fair for me to comment.”
Mr. Naidu said, “After 15 years, the no-confidence motion was moved by Opposition parties. We knew they have a majority, the motion was majority vs morality.”
His party has not yet decided the future course of its protest.
“I am having a meeting with my parliamentarians to discuss our future strategy,” he said.
The TDP MPs indicated that their protests would continue since the government failed to give specific questions to their answers. On Monday, the Rajya Sabha will debate the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
Talk with Modi
Revealing details of the phone conversation he had with Mr. Modi after the TDP pulled out of the Union Cabinet, Mr Naidu said, “He [Mr. Modi] said you are falling in the trap of the YSRCP. I told him as far as I am doing the right things, nothing can happen to me and my party. I also asked him how can he compare me with tainted people...” The YSRCP was in court on Friday while the TDP was in Parliament, Mr. Naidu said.