Euphoric after the success in the Rajya Sabha elections, TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu was relaxed as he explained his `neutrality' at the Centre and compulsions in the State. SRIKANT VITTAL met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister at the end of a hectic day in Hyderabad. Excerpts: Now that the BJP has supported you whole-heartedly in getting your Speaker nominee elected, will you reciprocate?I have in fact helped protect the prestige of the BJP. It was because I did not want the Congress to gain the upper hand that I took the decision against all odds. I cannot support the Congress under any circumstances. Everyone has his own political compulsions, including the BJP. The Left has its compulsions, just as regional parties, too, have their own.
Was this the reason for your floating a new front with regional parties such as the National Conference and the AGP?We have similar problems, our fight is against the Congress. Just because we support the BJP on a particular issue, it does notmean we are part of it. Tomorrow, we may have to oppose some decision taken by the BJP. We will fight for causes.
On the one hand you maintain that the United Front experiment was a failure but on the other you have floated a new `federal front'. How do you justify it?The principles, concept and philosophy were correct. It was only human failure and the egos of individuals that led to the crash. In fact, even before the United Front came into being, we had always wanted a third front comprising regional parties that have common problems and are tied down in their respective States. The United Front concept came into being later.
You say that you will not participate in a BJP-led government. How were you part of the UF set-up?Even then, we were not interested in power. But with the CPM staying away, the pressure was on me to be part of the government, more so when I was convenor of the Front. The Congress decided to support us then and we did not ask for it. But this very Congressdestabilised two UF governments and forced mid-term elections on the country.
Will you join the government at a later stage if the other partners of the new Front ask you to?Even now, we are not for power. I am interested in the development of my State and in positive politics. A few posts will be of little help to me or my State. There is tremendous scope for development and I want to get the maximum assistance from the Central Government.
Your neutral stand seems to be somewhat confusing and cause for uncertainty. How can you maintain it?We are very clear about it. We are not creating any uncertainty. Our aim is to ensure that the Congress does not come to power or benefit in any way. In fact, it was due to the stand of `equi-distance' that we were supported by the BJP when we decided to contest the Speaker's post. Many of my colleagues were against it but I decided to go in for it. If you recall, the President referred to my letter on neutrality in deciding to invite the BJP to formthe government. So where is the confusion?
How would you react to the charge that you are aligning with so-called communal forces?How can anyone say that? People like Ramakrishna Hegde, George Fernandes, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik have alliances with the BJP. They cannot be dubbed communal. How is it that the Congress, which was responsible for the demolition of the Babri Masjid and apologised for it later, be termed `secular'? What about the assault on the Golden Temple? Can that be called secular? It is only the Congress that is `blackmailing' us by dubbing us so. It is only for political purposes that the term is being used.
Will not the Communists, who are your allies in the State, move away from you when you support the BJP?They must understand that I too have political compulsions. I have appealed to them to stay united and have even kept my word to the CPI to get their nominee elected to the Rajya Sabha. We gave the CPI nominee the highest number of votes, more than our ownpartymen. That is my commitment. They must appreciate it. But even then if they choose to go away, I cannot help it.
Don't you think the minorities will view you with suspicion if you help the BJP remain in power?We are totally with the minorities and will fight the BJP too if we feel it will harm their interests in any way. Do you think the Trinamool Congress does not have Muslims in its fold? We are totally with and for the minorities and will not allow their interests to be harmed. I am still maintaining my neutral stand for such reasons. Whenever one section is harmed, we will be on their side and fight for their cause. It is only when a crisis arises that the true colours come to the fore. In almost every State, the anti-incumbency factor worked against the parties ruling in those States. It was not so here as the people assessed our performance.
What are plans now?I have a lot of time to devote now, as I am not burdened with the problems of any Front. I plan to develop the Statevastly within the next couple of years. There is such vast scope for development with technology. With my kind of outlook, I cannot allow opportunities to go by without exploiting them. Development of my State and my country is of prime importance to me. That is why I think positive.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
