The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government has secured the backing of its southern ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a day before it begins dialogues with Congress, the major opposition party, reported HT.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu talked to TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday. As per the sources in Naidu’s office said, “Chandrababu told him his party would stand by the PM’s decision.”
The government managers will officially start negotiations with the Opposition on Friday. Ministers including Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu are set to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to reach consensus over the next President of the country.
The government’s outreach prompted the opposition to not choose its candidate in its meeting on Wednesday. The government is also trying to entice Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). After talking to NCP leader Praful Patel, Naidu sought time for a meeting with Pawar.
Pawar told opposition parties that he is not eager to fight the presidential poll. The NDA needs around 20,000 votes while the Opposition is short of 1.5 lakh to win presidential poll.
