Naidu meets Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy

Bangaluru: TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is trying to unite opposition parties to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year, Thursday met his counterpart H D Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

Setting the stage for the revival of an united front against the BJP, Naidu claimed the mood of the nation was against the BJP-led NDA and soon an alliance would be formed with various regional parties.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, Naidu said the initial steps for the formation of the alliance were yet to be finalised.

Once the modalities were fixed, programmes would be chalked out later, he said.

"I have spoken to Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav. I have met everybody. Tomorrow I am meeting Stalin (DMK president). We will decide how to take forward the alliance with consensus. It is an initial exercise. After that we will work together," he said.

Naidu, who had been a staunch critic of Congress, was not averse to taking it along for the "grand alliance."

However, he ducked questions on their prime ministerial candidate.

"Congress is a major opposition party," he said, pointing out that Deve Gowda became prime minister with support of the Congress from outside in 1996.

"... Congress is a main anchor," Naidu added.