Naidu meets Sonia, Pawar in Delhi

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party President N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, besides holding consultations for the second time with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury as part of his pursuit to form an alternative to the NDA government.

Naidu met Gandhi this evening for about 45 minutes but it was not clear what exactly transpired between the two leaders.

Earlier in the day, he met Pawar and Yechury for the second time since Saturday.

On Saturday, Naidu met Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Yechury, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, and CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy and Secretary D Raja before flying to Lucknow to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati.

These meetings are a part of Naidu's continued outreach to the opposition party leaders to firm up a non-BJP front.

On Friday, he had said that all parties, including rival K. Chandrashekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), were welcome to join the non-BJP Mahagathbandhan (grand-alliance).

According to the TDP sources, Naidu, who went back to Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening, is expected to come back to Delhi again on Monday evening. He may hold a press conference on Tuesday.

--IANS

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