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TDP to support BJP as long as it 'performs'

Y Bala Murali Krishna in New Delhi

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandra Babu Naidu has said the Telugu Desam Party would continue to support the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government as long as the latter 'performs'.

Addressing the media in Andhra Pradesh Bhawan after meeting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday evening, Naidu parried persistent questions as to how long the BJP government would continue in power in the wake of recent developments that resulted in it earning the epithet of 'roll back government'.

He said he would not like to indulge in speculation. Every government is under one threat or the other with attacks from different parties becoming a common thing, he said.

Asked to comment on the reports carried in some Hindi newspapers that he was lobbying to become the prime minister soon, Naidu quipped, ''Nobody will believe these reports. I had never aspired to become the prime minister.''

He said there was no change in his party's stand towards the Centre. He also clarified that there was no fresh request from the prime minister that the Telugu Desam Party should join the Union ministry.

He, however, requested Vajpayee to take all steps to protect the minorities in the country from attacks by certain organisations.

Naidu added that he had urged the prime minister to do his best to contribute to the overall development of Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier, Naidu called on eight different ministers besides Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K C Pant, pleading for higher allocations and taking measures to solve the problems of farmers growing commercial crops like tobacco, cotton, chilly and onions, besides sharing 50 per cent of the expenditure on security forces engaged in anti-Naxalite operations.

UNI

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