N Chandrababu Naidu is now ‘saviour of secularism’: Asaduddin Owaisi mocks Andhra CM

Stepping up his efforts to build a pan-India alliance to take on the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah in New Delhi on Thursday.

Naidu "coincidentally" also met senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here and briefly discussed about the need to bring all non-BJP political parties together, TDP sources said.

The TDP chief is likely to call on Congress president Rahul Gandhi later in the day, to discuss the matter.

His efforts however drew condemnation from local rival Asaddudin Owaisi and AIMIM supremo. 

He wrote on Twitter: “@ncbn supported BJP when Gujrat Pogrom happened in 2002,was part of @PMOIndia cabinet while Akhlaq,pahlu khan,Rohit,JUNAID,Aleemuddin where murdered,during his tenure as CM erstwhile AP many communal riots happened,AZIZ & AZAM killed in encounter NOW Saviour of Secularism WAH.”

Naidu, a former BJP ally who quit the NDA early this year over the Centre's refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh, met BSP chief Mayawati, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha here in the national capital on October 27.

According to TDP sources, Naidu "coincidentally" met senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here earlier on Thursday.

The TDP chief is playing the role of a "facilitator" to bring together all opposition parties to stop the BJP juggernaut in the 2019 general elections, a party leader said.

So far, Naidu has kept his cards close to his chest on seeking support of the Congress to forge a united front ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

He had earlier said that his party would play a pivotal role in the 2019 polls and that regional parties would form government at the Centre, though he had ruled himself out of the prime ministerial race.

According to TDP sources, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav spoke to Naidu over the phone yesterday and the latter will visit Delhi every week to speed up the process of uniting opposition parties.

The TDP had earlier criticised the Congress on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Meeting with Gandhi is seen as fresh efforts to align with the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

After BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa resigned as Karnataka chief minister before a no-confidence vote just two days after being sworn in, Naidu had termed the saffron party a "back door party" trying to enter south India by "unfair" means.

The Andhra Pradesh government has also accused the Centre of not supporting it in the construction of the Polavaram irrigation project, Kadapa steel plant, building a new capital city, and doing a flip flop on special package for the state on the lines of Bundelkhand region.