Naidu meets Stalin, strengthens effort to build anti-BJP front for LS polls

Chennai,November 09:

Taking forward his efforts to forge a secular combine to ‘oust’ the ‘communal’ and ‘fascist’ BJP-led NDA at the Centre, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday held a dinner meeting with DMK President M K Stalin in a bid to unite the like-minded parties against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

After Bengaluru Thursday where he met former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son and Karnataka counterpart H D Kumaraswamy, heading the JD(S)-Congress alliance regime, Naidu flew down to this teeming megapolis this evening and drove straight down to Mr Stalin’s residence.

With the DMK-Congress alliance apparently cemented for the Lok Sabha polls due in six months time, Stalin welcomed Naidu’s recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi as an important step to defeat the BJP-led NDA, which was out to destroy the autonomy of the States.

During the nearly hour-long meeting, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief held detailed discussions with the DMK Chief on the anti-BJP front in the presence of senior DMK leaders, including Duraimurugan, Rajya Sabha Member Kanimozhi and others.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Stalin said the DMK offered its full support to form a secular front at the National level against the BJP. He said the Centre, through its interventions, had destroyed the powers of the CBI and the RBI. He said all the opposition and secular parties must join together to protect the democracy.