Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday. “Had a good discussion prior to the announcement of Lok Sabha election results,” Naidu tweeted. The meeting came a day after exit polls predicted a comfortable victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. Some exit polls predicted that Naidu would struggle to retain power in Andhra Pradesh. Banerjee has dismissed exit polls as “gossip” and urged Opposition parties to be “united, strong and bold”.
Naidu landed in Kolkata and then travelled to Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, where he held a long meeting with her. Two unidentified Trinamool Congress leaders said that the two leaders “decided to hold detailed discussion” with other Opposition leaders after the elections results are declared on May 23.
Naidu’s meeting with Mamata came two days after he held discussions with Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati about the possibility of a grand Opposition coalition following the Lok Sabha election results. The Andhra Pradesh chief minister also met Communist Party of India leaders G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja in Delhi.
The hectic parleys are aimed at ensuring numbers and move fast to stall a Narendra Modi-led government in the event the Lok Sabha polls yield a hung House. In Lucknow, Naidu met BSP leader Mayawati and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav. Naidu is learnt to have worked towards persuading the two leaders to join the opposition camp. He invited them to Delhi for discussions to build a broad consensus on the formation of a front comprising anti-BJP parties. The two leaders reportedly assured Naidu that they will consider his proposal. He also met Sonia Gandhi earlier.
Pawar reaches out to KCR, Naveen
Meanwhile, Pawar has reached out to key Opposition leaders who could play a significant role in case of a hung verdict. Sources said Pawar spoke with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in the past three days. Though officially the NCP refused to comment on these discussions, a senior party leader categorically denied reports that YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy had avoided speaking to Pawar.
The NCP chief’s move follows his two rounds of meetings with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu over the weekend. Naidu has been pushing the idea of a united block of Opposition parties that can approach President Ram Nath Kovind to stake claim as a single entity if results throw up a hung Parliament on Thursday.
Key Opposition leaders argue that no prepoll alliance will get the numbers to comfortably form the government and will need the help of other parties. In such a scenario, parties like the BJD and TRS could play a significant role. Opposition strategists argue that a powerful BJP under Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would eventually eclipse its regional partners and hence regional players may be better placed in a federal front government. Opposition leaders also argue that many regional parties run the risk of alienating minority supporters if they join the NDA.
“There are several possibilities and everything depends on the numbers. And until May 23, it is futile to speak about prepoll blocks or alliances. But given Pawar’s stature in politics, he has opened a channel with like minded parties,” said an Opposition leader.
