HYDERABAD, March 3: Retracting from his earlier statement that the Lok Sabha elections were a referendum on his government, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said he has kept his options open on extending the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) support to either the Congress or BJP at the Centre.Addressing mediapersons here today, he said that the TDP politburo would meet in a day or two to discuss the "new political situation" at the national level and take a decision on the party's role in the post-poll scenario.
On Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet's statement supporting a Congress-led coalition, Naidu said, "That may be his opinion, not of the United Front". He admitted that the TDP had "genuine problems" on choosing either the Congress or the BJP.
On the factors that might have worked against the TDP, he said that the voters appeared to have been influenced by the BJP campaign that they alone could provide a stable government at the Centre. "Evensome of our party sympathisers voted for the BJP this time," he said.
He also admitted that the UF failed to convince people that it could provide a stable government at the Centre. Asked whether the UF experiment had failed, Naidu said, "From the beginning we tried to put up a united show but failed to project a cohesive and strong image".
"Till yesterday, I had said that the UF would form a government on its own, that we would stall the BJP from coming to power and that the Congress would not come to power under any circumstances. How can I take a decision on the matter suddenly?" he asked.
Flanked by Ministers T Devender Goud and P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Naidu said that the TDP had suffered reverses compared to the 1996 election but attributed this to the peoples's desire for a stable government at the Centre.
Pointing out that the TDP lost in as many as 10 seats by narrow margins, he felt that the party's show was not that bad.
While the TDP won 12 seats, its allies posted victory in threeseats.
Ridiculing Pradesh Congress Committee president Mallikarjun's demand for his resignation "on moral grounds", the Chief Minister said, "He himself has lost the election and has no locus standi to make such a demand. I pity him". Moreover, it was not correct to treat the polls as a referendum on his government.
Reminded that he had himself considered the polls as a referendum, Naidu justified his earlier statement on the ground that it was meant to enthuse his party cadre.
However, he was ready to review and amend some of his policies in the light of the electoral outcome.
Naidu pointed out that the anti-incumbency factor worked all over the country and ruling parties in various states had suffered reverses in the election.
He quoted the example of Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Rajastan.
Compared to the position in those states, the TDP performed reasonably well though it lost a few seats, he said, while accusing the Congress candidates of using money power towin the elections.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
