HYDERABAD, March 3: Though refusing to be drawn into a discussion on which grouping he would align with for a government at the centre, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and United Front convener TDP president , N Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday watered down his staunch anti-BJP stance.Going soft on the BJP, Naidu, whose king making role at the centre the last time round is still fresh in peoples' mind, stressed that the Congress was still his "enemy number one" while he felt the former's stability plank had clicked with the people which was evident from the results.
Stressing a new phenomenon had emerged in the country Naidu said the new scenario called for a fresh consideration of the political situation.
However, asked if he subscribed to the CPM general secreatary HKS Surjeet's reported statement that the UF would consider supporting the Congress in government-making, Naidu said it could have been the CPM's opinion and not that of the UF as the subject had not yet been broached by the Front.
As forthe TDP, the party polit buro will meet on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.
However, according to party sources, opinion within the TDP was more inclined towards the BJP given its better tally in the elections and chances of forming the government.
Though four seats lower than his tally in the 11th Lok Sabha the 12 seats mustered by Naidu is nevertheless being seen as significant considering the country wide anti-incumbancy wave as also the fact that it gives him the lever to continue playing the king maker role at the centre.
However, the chief minister was candid enough to accept that the peoples' verdict in the state was only a qualified endorsement of his policies and government and said there was a lesson in it and whatever correctives necessary would be taken.
While it is the first time that BJP has made inroads into the state winning four seats, polling 24 per cent of the total vote in the state compared to just 5.6 in the 1996, the party has done so cornering an equal share of votesfrom the Congress and TDP as also most of the NTR-TDP vote.
Attributing the fall in his tally by four seats to a culmination of factors like the anti-incumbancy factor, successful exploitation of negative elements like cyclones, pest attack by other parties as also the stability plank of theBharatiya Janata Party.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
