NEW DELHI:  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and United! Front strongman Chandrababu Naidu declared last week that he was in favor of a weak Center and strong states. The Telegu Desam supremo said that with the strengthening of small, regional parties, “Various regions will play 4 decisive roles in Indian politics.”

Saying, “Gone are the days when one party ruled over this vast country,” the combative Andhra leader called for complete redefinition of Center State relations and insisted that the nature of the Indian polity would have to be federal, hereafter. Clarifying his personal position, Mr. Naidu declared “I’ am a nationalist, But I want to work for my State.”

Mr. Naidu ridiculed the concept of national parties saying that neither the Congress nor the BIP had succeeded in registering their presence in all states of the country. He suggested that regional parties like the TDP, DMKTMC, AGP and ‘Samajwadi Party, along with the Janata Dal and Left parties were more representative in character.

Mr, Naidu also declared that the Congress had no option except to bolster the United Front in forming a” ‘on Congress, non BJP” Government, by supporting it from outside. The electorate’s mandate was for such a government, he averred.

Throughout the interview, Mr. Naidu ‘was, however, inquisitive about the Congress stand on Government formation and conferred telephonically with several senior United Front leaders about the party’s apparently ambivalent postures. On the issue of leadership of the United Front, Mr, Naidu said Mr. Deve Gowda ‘was the consensus candidate, Asked if he would be in the race at a later stage, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said he had never been in the fray. “I took all MPs and MLAs into confidence before taking decision to align with the Third Front” said Mr“Naidu, reacting ‘on NTR’s son Harikrishna letter. Reacting coldly over the letter faxed to Mr. Naidu at the Andhra Pradesh Bhawan in Delhi last week, the TDP president said that he would tackle the problem, “He is our man and we will take care of him” Mr. Naidu said, Mr. N. Harikrishna in his letter has said that Naidu should have Consulted his party men, legislators and MPs before deciding TDPs role in national politics.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 29, 1996