Modi jealous of Andhra Pradesh: Chandrababu Naidu

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was jealous of Andhra Pradesh and hence was behind the proposed Federal Front of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

Reacting to the meeting of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders with YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to discuss the proposed front, Naidu said that "jealous people were coming together under a conspiracy against Andhra Pradesh".

During a teleconference with leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), he said Modi was jealous of his state as it was making rapid progress.

According to TDP sources, the TDP chief said Modi was afraid that the southern state might overtake Gujarat in development.

He alleged that TRS President Chandrashekhar Rao was also against Andhra Pradesh's development and afraid of his own inefficiency while Jaganmohan Reddy was scared that he might have to go to jail in corruption cases.

Claiming that KCR's Federal Front was not getting a response from any party, he said this was the reason his son K.T. Rama Rao met Jagan in a hurry.

"With this meeting the nexus between them is exposed," said Naidu, who was trying to play anchor to an anti-BJP front at the national level.

Naidu also remarked that the three parties were attacking Andhra Pradesh like vultures. He alleged that they were trying to create a rift among various communities and castes in his state.

The TDP chief alleged that the Federal Front was aimed at implementing the Bharatiya Janata Party's agenda. He said the BJP was trying to ensure that the parties against it do not unite.

"It wants to create confusion among people. It wants to split anti-BJP votes," he said.

KCR's son Rama Rao, who is also the Working President of the TRS, met Jagan in Hyderabad on Wednesday to discuss the Federal Front proposed as an alternative to both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

KCR plans to visit Andhra Pradesh soon for further talks with Jagan, whose YSR Congress is the main opposition party in Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

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