Not in race for PM post, says Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ruled himself out of the prime ministerial race and asserted that the opposition alliance would ‘sit together’ after the elections and choose a ‘suitable’ candidate for the post on consensus.
“We in the opposition are clear about our mission. We will sit together and decide on a suitable candidate after the results are declared,” he told a media conference in Vijayawada on Wednesday.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief’s remarks came in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocking the opposition parties for their inherent contradictions and questioning who among them was the prime ministerial candidate.
Modi took pot shots at the opposition parties while addressing election rallies in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, saying they have an expiry date of May 23. “After that, the leaders of the grouping will be at each other’s throats. The leaders of the SP, the BSP and the RLD will tear each other’s clothes once the results are out,” Modi said. “Those people who till a few days ago were playing ‘Kaun Banega Pradhan Mantri’ with each other, are now playing hide and seek after the fourth phase of voting concluded. The public have shattered their dreams in the four phases,” the PM said.
Taking umbrage over Modi’s remarks, Naidu said it was unbecoming of a Prime Minister to stoop so low during poll campaigning. “Let him not worry about who will become PM. I am not in the race but we all will sit and decide on a suitable candidate after the results are declared,” said Naidu who was widely seen as ‘King Maker’ during the formation of the United Front and NDA-I governments in the past.
“He (Modi) even made comments about our (opposition leaders’) clothes. We are poor and wear simple clothes while Modi has a penchant for changing his attire many times a day,” the Chief Minister said.
“The change that Modi has been talking about is seen only in his dressing. There is no change in the living conditions of people,” Naidu said.
