Hyderabad: Union minister of state for social justice Ramdas Athawale on Saturday invited YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy into BJP-led NDA.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr Athawale said Mr Jagan had more chances of becoming the Chief Minister of AP in the 2019 elections if he joined the NDA. He also promised Mr Jagan of his personal support in making him the Chief Minister.
Termed the decision of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to quit NDA as “hasty”, for which he would pay the price in the 2019 elections, Mr Athawale also made an appeal to him to return to the NDA for the development of Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Athawale is the founder of Republican Party of India (A), which is part of the NDA. He expressed confidence that the combination of BJP and YSRC would perform well in 2019 elections and secure power in AP.
Mr Athawale’s comment invited instant wrath from TDP. AP minister and son of the Chief Minister, Mr Lokesh tweeted: “Sri Ramdas Athawale's comment about Jagan joining NDA is a trailer before the final film on the unholy alliance between YSRCP and BJP hits the theatres. People are no fools to sit quiet and watch Jagan placing Telugu pride on the feet of BJP bosses. They will flop the film in 2019!”
