Opposition

He had left the alliance on being denied special category status for Andhra Pradesh that would have made the state eligible for central grants to fund development projects. This week, Naidu met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader MK Stalin, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his father and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda. The TDP is also part of a Congress-led opposition alliance that is fighting the upcoming Telangana assembly elections.

Naidu said he will be meeting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on November 19. “I am already in touch with her over phone and she will be part of the joint mission,” he said.

“This is a broadly anti-bjp platform. This is in the interest of the nation. Save democracy, save the nation and save the institutions-- that is the agenda. That is the national agenda, an utmost important agenda,” Naidu said.

Naidu said he had already met politicians from a wide spectrum of opposition parties including Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and representatives of Left parties. The groundwork for the November 22 meeting has already been laid, he said.

“Now I have convinced everybody. Everybody is willing to cooperate with us. In this experiment, Congress is the main opposition party. They have more responsibility. We have to acknowledge that,” Naidu said.

The meeting will focus on the form and structure of the proposed anti-bjp forum and a course of action to take forward