Chandrababu Naidu To Be Point Person for the ‘Mahagathbandhan’

Chandrababu Naidu said he will be meeting all secular opposition leaders in the coming days.

JD(S) HD Deve Gowda with Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu and Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy.

(Photo: The Quint)

A day after the resounding victory of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the Karnataka by-elections, former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was to take the responsibility of uniting the secular opposition parties.

The announcement came following a meeting between Naidu, Gowda and Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, at Gowda’s residence in Bengaluru on Thursday evening.

Naidu said he has taken the initiative to meet all stakeholders and to prepare a plan for the alliance in consultation with them.

“What happened in the Karnataka by-elections shows the mood of the nation. This (meeting) is an initial step. During the course of time, we will work out a plan… I have met Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav. Tomorrow (Friday), I will meet Stalin (president of DMK party),” Naidu said. 

Country Is Important More Than Individual: Deve Gowda

When asked about the role of the Congress party in the grand opposition alliance, Gowda said the country is paramount, not the individual.Photo: The Quint 

When asked about the role of the Congress party in the grand opposition alliance, Gowda said the country is paramount, not the individual.

“The Congress, a national party, should also cooperate in this cause. The country is paramount, rather than an individual. The Congress has got a great responsibility (in the alliance) and it has major strength,” said Gowda.

He also added that the Congress will ensure victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

Alliance to Save Democracy, Constitution and Institutions

Naidu said the poor condition of the autonomous institutions in the country indicates a threat to democracy.Photo: The Quint

Naidu said the poor condition of the autonomous institutions in the country indicates a threat to democracy.

“CBI is a premier institute for prevention of corruption, but it is in trouble. The RBI, an autonomous, regulatory body is also under threat. In fact, the RBI governor, who is unable to face the trouble from the government, is preparing to quit. ED (Enforcement Directorate) and I-T (Income Tax) departments are being used to threaten opposition parties.”

Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh

Naidu said that as the prime minister was keeping quiet on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, the ill-effects of demonetisation on the economy, increasing fuel prices and the depreciation of the rupee, it becomes the duty of the opposition parties to come together to save democracy, the Constitution and the national institutions.

In a brief concluding statement, the Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that with Naidu’s initiative, there will be repeat of the 1996 (collation government) in 2019.