Chandrababu Naidu meets Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati to cement opposition alliance 

Chandrababu Naidu (R) with Akhilesh Yadav. 

New Delhi: Telugu Desam Party leader and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu met a series of senior leaders such as Congress president Rahul Gandhi, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati in order to bring together opposition parties and cement an anti-BJP front. After meeting Gandhi in Delhi, on Saturday, Naidu travelled to Lucknow to meet Yadav and Mayawati.

It is a pleasure to welcome Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri N Chandrababu Naidu Ji to Lucknow pic.twitter.com/B2SKJlG5PK

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 18, 2019

In an hourlong meeting with Gandhi, Naidu had a discussion over on how to keep the saffron party out of power after poll results are declared on May 23 and told Gandhi to have a strategy ready in case the BJP tries to stake claim to form the government despite falling short of numbers.

He also met CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, on Saturday in Delhi.

The development comes after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi decided to chair a meeting with opposition leaders on May 23.

As part of his efforts Naidu is scheduled to meet NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and LJD leader Sharad Yadav later in the day, while he is also in touch with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over the phone on this issue.

Naidu also said that the anti-BJP federal front is open to all, including the TRS, whose president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been talking about a “non-Congress, non-BJP Federal Front”.

Talking to reporters, Naidu said, “We welcome not only the TRS but any party which is against the BJP. We welcome all such parties to be a part of our grand alliance.”

Naidu also questioned the Election Commission’s working style. He met the poll panel and raised issues about the complaints his party filed with the commission. Naidu said, “I have been the party president for the last 25 years. I have never seen this type of Election Commission.”

_{[This story was first published at 1.54pm, Monday, May 18, 2019.]}

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