The Hindu : Front Page : Karnataka coalition doing well: Venkaiah

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Sunday, Aug 05, 2007
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Karnataka coalition doing well: Venkaiah

Special Correspondent

He hopes JD(S) will honour its commitment

CHENNAI: The former Bharatiya Janata Party president M. Venkaiah Naidu, on Saturday expressed the hope that the Janata Dal (Secular) would honour its commitment to the people of Karnataka by ensuring that a person belonging to the BJP “becomes Chief Minister on October 3.”

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Naidu criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his reported remark on Friday that the JD (S)-BJP coalition was not in good shape.

The coalition Government in Karnataka had been doing an excellent job, he said, adding that it had presented three popular budgets.

“We have no doubt about the change of chief ministership and the JD (S)-BJP Government will complete its remaining tenure of 20 months. The central leadership of the BJP is closely watching the developments in Karnataka,” he said.

‘Not helpful’

Replying to a query, Mr. Naidu said the formation of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) would not be helpful in bringing non-Congress parties together. It had already affected the “non-Congress cause” in the Presidential elections, he said.

Though some of the UNPA leaders had been talking in terms of reviving the ‘third front’, all the previous attempts to form such combines were not successful, he said.

Denying that the BJP was upset over the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s decision to continue in the UNPA and support the candidate of the alliance in the Vice-Presidential poll, he said it would be a better situation if all the non-Congress parties supported a common candidate.

Nuclear deal

Mr. Naidu said the BJP was ready to join hands with all the Opposition parties to oppose the Indo-American nuclear deal “advantageous” to the United States.

He accused the Communist parties of adopting “double standards” by seeking the resignation of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the police firing at Mudigonda in Khammam district while supporting the West Bengal Government on the Nandigram issue.

The BJP condemned the “barbaric police action” in both States, he said.

He hailed the decision of the Tamil Nadu Government to seek public opinion before clearing the Tata’s titanium dioxide project in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts.

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