No ideological differences with Cong: Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad: Justifying the move to join hands with the Congress, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu Thursday said they had no ideological differences with the Rahul Gandhi-led party.

Naidu, who shared the dais with Gandhi in a couple of meetings Wednesday as part of a poll campaign for People’s Front candidates in the state, said there was a democratic compulsion for non-BJP parties to come on a single platform.

“Politically, we (TDP and Congress) are different. The Telugu Desam Party, from the beginning has been fighting against the Congress and that is a reality. Ideologically we do not have any differences. Ideologically, we have differences with the BJP,” he told reporters here.

“But today there is a democratic compulsion. That’s why there is a necessity to fight against the BJP to save the Constitution and also save institutions,” he said when asked about the decades-old differences with Congress.

The Congress had roped in the TDP, CPI and M Kodandaram-led Telangana Jana Samithi to form the People’s Front to take on the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti in the December 7 Assembly polls. He said the BJP had no chance of winning any of the five states which were under various stages of the election process. According to him, the BJP could manage to win only four or five Lok Sabha bypolls in the last 20-odd ones.

“(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi disappointed the nation. People trusted him so much and they also had so much faith in him. But he disappointed the nation. Everybody is living under pressure and tension. It is very bad for the nation that they are misusing institutions like CBI, ED and Income Tax,” he claimed. On the proposed meeting of non-BJP parties on December 10, Naidu said there would not be any formal invitation to any party.

On being asked who would lead the anti-BJP coalition, he said, “Who is Narendra Modi? Till 2014 he was just a chief minister. He was able to lead (his party to a win). Now there are efficient people and able administrators. They will lead. We will bring a consensus on that. I am not in the race for prime ministership… I’ve told many times. I am not expecting any position or any incentive out of this initiative.”  He said the People’s Front was going to win and form government in Telangana.