The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : BJP leader for review of ties with Telugu Desam Party

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 30, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

BJP leader for review of ties with Telugu Desam Party

Correspondent

Contradictory statements decried

VIZIANAGARAM: The BJP national committee member, P.V.Chalapathi Rao, has stressed on the need to review his party's ties with the Telugu Desam Party in the wake of the reported statement of N.Chandrababu Naidu that minorities had distanced themselves from the TDP due to its links with the BJP.

At a press conference here on Sunday, the BJP leader said that he saw a change in the thinking of Mr. Naidu after the Assembly elections. Comparing his attitude to the adage "burning of a boat after crossing the river," Mr. Rao said that the TDP had won elections in 1999 with the support of the BJP and lost the elections last year due to the "anti-incumbency" factor.

The former Chief Minister had himself agreed to the "anti-incumbency" factor but changed his stance later and is now blaming the BJP for the poll debacle, he said. The TDP had lost a number of seats even in non-minority dominated constituencies, including Vizianagaram, Sathiwada and Cheepurupalli, Mr Rao said.

`BJP to go it alone'

Saying that an alliance must be based on mutual understanding, Mr. Rao said that the BJP had decided to contest on its own in the ensuing civic polls. With regard to statehood for Telangana, Mr. Rao said that divergent statements by his own partymen, including Indrasena Reddy, Bandaru Dattatreya and Ch. Vidyasagara Rao, had sent wrong signals to party workers, including the film actress Vijayashanthi.

Kakinada declaration

He said that the party must adhere to the 1997 Kakinada declaration. This could not be said aloud in the past due to its ties with the TDP, which is against bifurcation of the State.

When specifically asked if honeymoon with the TDP had ended, he said "there is a need to review the ties."

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