Chandrababu Naidu for anti-graft move, to expose Jagan’s illegal assets
Hyderabad: The astonishing victory of the Aam Admi Party in Delhi is said to have rekindled the hopes of Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu that he can take on YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan mohan Reddy on an anti-corruption platform.
Though Naidu was the first to criticise Aravind Kejriwal for stepping into politics, the TD chief, party sources said, is hoping that the impact of AAP’s victory will help to swing 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the vote in the TD’s favour in the next elections.
Naidu is said to have commented that the general mood of the nation is against corruption and urban educated yo-uth and the middle classes that have been reluctant to vote will now be willing to do so.
At a party function organised to welcome leaders who switched over from the Congress in the Ranga Reddy district, he said that people in the st-ate are eager to sweep out inefficient and corrupt parties.
“There is a difference of opinion among party leaders on Naidu repeatedly making allegations of corruption against YSR when he was alive and subsequently against Mr Reddy,” said a senior TD leader.
Senior TD leaders have suggested to Naidu that he focus on other issues such as agriculture, power and the administrative failure of the government. They have told him that the Congress’s comeback in 2009, despite the TD making corruption a campaign issue, shows that the electorate is not that focused on corruption.
The TD again made corruption a big issue when Reddy was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation for possessing illegal assets. But since then, the focus has been on the state’s bifurcation and the TD has been going slow on Reddy’s cases.
The party is, however, stepping up its lobbying with top BJP leaders for an electoral alliance. It has been trying to convince the BJP that a tie-up would help it win seats in Andhra Pradesh. “Anti corruption mood, Modi’s glamour and Naidu’s experience as administrator will benefit both of us,” a TD leader said.
