Citizens urge Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar to support INDIA bloc

With the support of TDP and JD(U)— BJP’s pre-poll allies, which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, and other alliance partners, the NDA crossed the halfway mark.

However, the citizens have now urged Naidu and Nitish to, “Join or support the INDIA Alliance for a stable government in and for the world’s biggest democracy.”

In the same letter, the citizens claimed, “Yesterday we saw a historic mandate delivered by the people of India against the hate, polarization, terrorism and religious politics of the BJP. The mandate is also in favour of democracy, peace, unity, fraternity, harmony, progress, growth and the Constitution.”

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‘BJP against federalism’

Further criticising the BJP, the letter read, “The BJP only delivered disaster after disaster whether it is Manipur which is still burning after a year, the economy which is still suffering from the after-effects of Demonetization, faulty GST, Covid Lockdown, high prices, scams, the nation has fallen on almost every important index and parameter, 80 crore people forced to live on government provided ration; constant calls for genocide, hate rallies, mob lynchings, atrocities and bulldozer justice against minorities, the list is very very long.”

“Our national debt has strangely multiplied many times over beyond any reason and sense while at the same time, women’s safety, the safety of our armed forces personnel, and the safety even of our territory have all been compromised. ”

The missive further noted that the BJP is “inimical to federalism”.

It further read, “BJP will ensure regional parties fade away once they join hands with the BJP, as has happened in the past—however the INDIA Bloc is made up of regional parties and believes that India needs a federal structure to succeed. So this is about your survival and existence too. ”

Reiterating that the onus and responsibility are huge on both TDP and JD (U), the letter read, “Your positive action will also earn accolades from the nation today and a permanent place in the glorious pages of history for saving the nation from the hands of the destructive duo of Modi and Shah.”

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JD (U) and TDP

Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar was one of the founding members of the INDIA bloc. However, in January, he quit his post as head of the Mahagathbandhan government, which comprised the Congress, and RJD in Bihar.

He later took oath as the chief minister with the support of BJP and LPJ (RV).

Naidu on the other hand was part of the NDA alliance in 2014. However, he too left the alliance in 2018, as the BJP had not fulfilled the demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh.

In January, Naidu-led TDP joined hands with the BJP in both Centre and Andhra Pradesh along with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena.

TDP has also won a thumping majority in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, and Naidu is set to become the chief minister of the state once again.

On Tuesday, amid the speculation, TDP’s senior leader Kanakamedala Ravindrakumar told PTI, “Our pre-poll pact with BJP and Janasena in Andhra Pradesh isn’t just political arithmetic; it’s a matter of credibility,”.

(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula.)