Bardhan-Naidu talks on third alternative , Breakfast meeting on alliances held at Telugu Desam Party president’s residence

Bardhan expresses anxiety over rise of divisive forces

Naidu emphasises cordial ties with Left on many issues

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-Photo: Praveen Kumar Vinjam

Playing host: CPI national general secretary A.B. Bardhan being welcomed by Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu at his residence in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Communist Party of India general secretary A. B. Bardhan on Wednesday emphasised the need for pooling in all the non-Congress and non- BJP forces on to a single platform.

Speaking to press persons briefly after a breakfast meeting with Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu at the latter’s Jubilee Hills residence, Mr. Bardhan said that Mr. Naidu and he had discussed the political situation and the need for strengthening the third alternative political formation.

In the closed-door meeting, Telugu Desam Party sources said, Mr. Naidu made a presentation on his laptop to his guest and other senior party leaders Raja and S. Sudhakar Reddy, reportedly on the prospects in store, provided the TDP, Left parties and Telangana Rashtra Samithi go together in the Assembly elections.

Mr. Bardhan said, the country was facing a critical situation with communal riots breaking out at various places. Divisive activities were on the rise in the north as well as the south with people like Maharashtra Navanirman Sena’s Raj Thackeray raising their voices.

“It’s a serious situation and we discussed and shared our respective concern”.

On a humorous note

On forging an electoral alliance with TDP, Mr. Bardhan wondered why the media was so impatient when Mr. Naidu himself showed so much of patience.

Asked who was his better friend, Mr. Naidu or Chiranjeevi, he quipped, “My wife”.

Mr. Bardhan had met Mr. Chiranjeevi on Tuesday to seek his support for the third alternative.

To another question, he said there was no difference of opinion between the State and Central committees of the party over alliances.

On his part, Mr. Naidu said, he had an enduring relationship with Left parties in fighting issues like corruption, communalism and rising prices. “We will fight the Congress as it has brought a bad name to the country by entering into a nuclear deal with the United States.”