Chandrababu Naidu sees repeat of 1996 Third Front

Machilipatnam: TDP chief and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said there is a "real possibility" of the country witnessing a repeat of 1996 in 2019 where regional parties will come together after the Lok Sabha polls to evolve a 'Third Front' and form a government. Naidu also said Congress will remain as an "anchor party" and that the decision on a prime ministerial candidate will be taken depending on the number of seats won by the Front partners.

The assessment by Naidu came notwithstanding the failed efforts by Congress and other opposition parties to form a pre-poll 'mahagathbandhan' or a grand alliance to present a united front against the BJP.

H D Deve Gowda, the current JD(S) supremo, became the prime minister of a United Front(UF) government heading a group of regional parties backed by the Left and Congress from outside after the 1996 Lok Sabha polls threw a fractured verdict in which the BJP had emerged as the single largest party.

Naidu was the convener of the Front then. "A repeat of 1996 in 2019 is a real possibility and this cannot be ruled out," Naidu told in an interview. Naidu also said it is unlikely the BJP will cross the 200 mark due to what he called "growing negative wave" against the Modi government.

Naidu, who is seeking a second term as the chief minister of the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, said his TDP was confident of sweeping both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and defeat the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

Campaigning for the polls ended Tuesday. Polling will be held in single phase on April 11 in 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies that has an electorate of 3.93 crore. "Now every regional party is slowly distancing from the BJP. That itself is a downside for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An year back, can anyone dare to oppose Modi? The Modi wave has come down drastically and the negative wave for him has started," Naidu said.

Asked if the saffron party will be able to cross 200 seats, he said, "It is difficult because there is substantial negativity against the BJP". Naidu, who broke away from an alliance with the BJP at the Centre early 2018 over the demand for Special Category Status (SCS) for AP, said a likely strong performance of regional parties could go against the BJP if the local parties unite together after the polls.

Asked if there could be the repeat of 1996 in 2019, he said, "Everything is possible. We should not speculate things right now. I don't want to vitiate the atmosphere right now. Post elections, we will discuss."

"It will all depend on numbers and post-poll consensus. There is a democratic compulsion and earlier there was a secular and political compulsion. Now, there is political compulsion for all parties to come together against the BJP."

On TRS and YSRCP, both of whom are perceived to be 'B team' of BJP, going soft on Congress, Naidu said they are doing "drama" to retain their minority votes. "Of course, it is all drama. All minorities have decided to vote against BJP. Now, they are in dilemma and therefore talking all these things," he said, adding they are "playing dirty games.

-Lakshmi Devi