Why did the Bharatiya Janata Party preferred to join hands with Telugu Desam Party headed by former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and took him back into the National Democratic Alliance, when the Centre has good equations with YSR Congress party led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy?
This was the question posed by India Today television news director to Union home minister Amit Shah at India Today Conclave 2024 on Friday. Kanwal asked him how the BJP could entertain Naidu who described Modi as a terrorist.
Shah gave a cool answer: "We did not ask Chandrababu Naidu to leave NDA. It was him who decided to part ways with us. Then he went to the people, lost elections and after realising his mistake, he is back with us. He is most welcome".
He made it clear that it was Naidu who had proposed to join the NDA again, after repenting for his decision to go out of NDA in 2018. So, after repeated overtures, the BJP agreed to take him back into the NDA.
Kanwal pointed out that Jagan Mohan Reddy had extended support to the BJP in Rajya Sabha on numerous occasions when the Modi government was facing troubles.
“Yet, the BJP opted the TDP for alliance, not YSRCP,” he said.
Amit Shah said that voting in Parliament should not be connected to political tie-ups.
"People connect voting in Parliament with political tie-ups. Parties always vote on the basis of the issue. That is nothing to do with politics,” he said.
He pointed out that YSRCP, too, opposed the Modi government on three instances.
“Every party has the right to vote after being convinced that the issue is of national interest. I don't agree that the tie-ups happen on the basis of political parties' support," Shah said.