TDP general secretary and Education Minister Nara Lokesh admits that his party’s parting ways with the BJP-led NDA was against interests of the state, though there were valid reasons for it.
Speaking to Indian Express team of journalists at `Idea Exchange’, he said that in the past, he said there were certain contentious issues on which we disagreed and definitely we fought over it, and parted ways”.
But then looking back at the entire journey as a political party, he said “we believe that was against the interests of the state. Being a new state, we definitely need the support of the Central government, we need the hand holding”.
“Due to the lack of that support even the state suffered, and the people of Andhra Pradesh, too. So we see the need to be part of the national alliance and in turn we will get the requisite support that was promised to us as part of the bifurcation”, he added.
Fundamentally, Lokesh asserts that TDP has been an ally to BJP and this goes back to Vajpayee ji’s time. “Even back then our support has been unconditional and we continue to support BJP unconditionally. Of course, ideologically, we will have opinions and we will sit as partners and resolve those issues”, he added.
Responding to allegations from the YSRCP that their workers are being attacked in Andhra Pradesh, he made it clear that that was absolutely false. “It’s being used by Jagan. His party is on a ventilator and he’s using this as oxygen and nothing beyond that”, he said.
Moreover, he said that there were three TDP workers have been killed and he has all the documentation related to it. If Jagan believes 31 people have been killed then he should give their names, their location and the reason or how they have been killed. But, he doesn’t have anything, Lokesh added.
On the row over delimitation, Lokesh recalled that this issue came up even during Vajpayee ji’s time, as well.
“South India went for family planning quite early and that is where south India has to a certain degree, a disadvantage if you go based on population and this is something we’re going to definitely discuss as an NDA ally”, he said.
Stating that this issue is not confined to his state only, he said that when the framework is put out, they are going to put their opinion forward. It’s very important to protect the interests of all the states, he added.