Monday, May 9 2005 15:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: A year after its defeat and a week after signs of distancing from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has for the first time admitted that relations with the saffron party and the Gujarat violence had a "negative effect" on its minority vote bank in the last year's (2004) elections and appears to be keeping its options open on joining Left parties in forging a 'Third Front'.

The TDP supremo and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who recently asked his party to keep away from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) boycott of Parliament and met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi triggering speculation about his future moves, is not yet ready to come out openly on what he proposed to do.

In an hour-long interview with PTI in Hyderabad today (May 9, 2005), he gave enough indications that he was not comfortable with emerging strident voices of 'Hindutva' in BJP and appeared warming up to a relationship with Left parties and constituents of the erstwhile United Front, though he was not sure when such a situation will evolve. "Whenever somebody fails and there is a political vacuum, it will emerge", is all what he would say.

Careful with words, the Leader of the Opposition in Andhra Assembly parried questions on his strategies and gave an impression that he would like to wait and watch at least till the next round of crucial Assembly elections especially in West Bengal and Kerala where United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents Congress and Left parties are main rivals.

"We have no relations with BJP. Whenever there were common issues, we supported. Sometimes, we even differed," is what he would say and not go further to questions whether last week's decision to break ranks with NDA on boycott of Parliament signalled the beginning of end of its relations with BJP.

Naidu, in an introspective mood said, "We totally oppose Hindutva, we are committed to secularism and harmony among all communities. We are for resolution of Ayodhya dispute through judicial process and the court verdict should be respected by all."

Explaining his party's stand, he said that it was totally anguished at the time of post-Godhra riots and had asked for the resignation of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, which the BJP had rejected.

In protest, the party had refused to accept the Lok Sabha speaker ship after the death of TDP incumbent G M C Balayogi.

Asked why his party, on whose backing the NDA Government was surviving, did not withdraw its support, Naidu said "I did it differently."

Do you regret your support to BJP, he said, "I do not want to go into what happened in the past. We will think about what we should do in future. There are so many issues."

Elaborating on the point how relationship with BJP had adversely affected TDP, in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections when he lost power, Naidu said "The Gujarat problem did have a negative impact on the minorities support for TDP despite his Government's numerous steps for their welfare. We were not partners in NDA even when we supported the Government."

On why the party decided to end the Parliamentary boycott, he said that as a matter of opposition floor coordination, his party supported the NDA on the issue of sacking of the tainted Ministers from the Government but beyond a stage "we need to discuss issues in Parliament."