The meeting of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu with Bharatiya Janata Party national president J P Nadda in New Delhi on Monday raised many an eyebrow.
The meeting took place soon after the event of President of India Droupadi Murmu releasing the Rs 100 commemorative coin of legendary actor and former chief minister N T Rama Rao at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Nadda was also present at the function, which was organised at the behest of BJP Andhra unit president Daggubati Purandeshwari and almost all the members of NTR’s family members attended the event.
The meeting between Nadda and Naidu took place for about half an hour. Apart from the TDP MPs, even Daggubati Purandeshwari was also present during the discussions, lending credence to the talk that it was she, who had arranged the meeting and mediated the discussions.
It is an open secret that Naidu has been desperately trying to get closer to the BJP and seeking an alliance along with Jana Sena Party headed by Pawan Kalyan so as to prevent the splitting of anti-establishment votes and see that YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is defeated in the next assembly elections.
However, the BJP has not been showing much interest in the TDP and has been rejecting Naidu’s overtures. Even Jana Sena chief could not convince the BJP to bring closer to the TDP.
However, Purandeshwari, who had earlier been attacking Naidu till the recent times, has been showing soft corner towards him, not only because of the family relations, but also due to her antipathy towards Jagan.
So, she has started attempts again to bring the TDP back into the NDA fold, thought the BJP top leadership is not very keen on it.
It was part of her attempts that Naidu could have a brief meeting with Nadda. It is anybody’s guess as to what Naidu had requested the BJP chief at the meeting.
The YSRC lost no time in taking pot shots at Naidu and Purandeshwari.
“What more evidence do you require, Chinnamma, Purandeshwari? You, along with your husband, took your brother-in-law to your party national president Nadda and tried to convince him, though he was not reluctant for it,” tweeted YSRC general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy said.
He said the BJP leadership knows very well that Purandeshwari and all of them present at the meeting belonging to the same gang.
“That is why, the key has been handed over to the thief!” he commented.