There are many reasons for Telugu Desam Party facing a humiliating defeat in the 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh – strong anti-incumbency against his government, loss of connect with the people and above all, charisma and appeal of YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
But according to former Vice-President of India M Venkaiah Naidu, the main reason for Naidu’s defeat is his confrontation with the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and breaking up of alliance with the BJP.
In an interview to a television channel, Venkaiah said when the TDP was planning to come out of the National Democratic Alliance in 2018, Naidu had met him in Guntur.
“I advised Naidu to continue in the NDA and tried to convince him, but he did not listen,” he recalled.
The TDP chief apparently told Venkaiah that if the TDP continued to sail with the NDA, it would spell doom for the party.
“There is a lot of disgruntlement among the people against the BJP. That’s why, it would be better if the TDP severed ties with the NDA,” Venkaiah said, quoting Naidu.
The former Vice President advised Naidu not to do two things, if the latter was so keen on leaving the NDA.
“I gave him two advices. One, don’t criticise Narendra Modi personally; and secondly, he should not meet the then Congress president because of the prevailing circumstances,” Venkaiah recalled.
But Naidu ignored both the advices of Venkaiah and went completely in opposite direction.
“For that, he had to pay a heavy penalty and lost the elections with a huge margin. I advised him keeping in view the best interest of the state, but he did not heed to my appeal,” Venkaiah said.
He refuted the criticism that he had close proximity with Naidu and that was the reason why Modi did not prefer him for the President of India post.
“Even in the past, there were similar allegations, stating that I was more closer to former chief minister N T Rama Rao. But the TDP put up a candidate against me in the elections. For me, the BJP was more important than individuals,” he explained.