Chandrababu Naidu To Meet Rahul Gandhi In Delhi Today

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who is trying to bring all non-BJP parties to a single platform, is expected to visit Delhi today, where he would meet Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. Sources said the two sides will take forward the talks of an alliance with Mr Naidu's Telugu Desam Party for the coming assembly elections in Telangana, which will be held in December.

The preliminary discussions between the Congress and Mr Naidu's party have been conducted by state leaders and the two sides are trying to evolve a seat sharing formula. This will be the Congress' second key tie-up in the south. In May, the party had tied up with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal Secular to keep the BJP out of power in Karnataka.

The Congress is also reportedly trying to forge an alliance with a smaller regional party in Telangana. The CPI is also keen for an alliance, but the seat sharing issue is proving a hurdle.

Mr Naidu - who walked out of the NDA in March after failing to make any headway with his demand for special status for his state - has chosen to take up the role of a "facilitator" in evolving a united opposition. In that capacity, he has already met Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Mayawati.

With an anti-BJP front still at a nascent stage, his attempts to bring on board all the opposition parties has received an endorsement from Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav.  

Sources said during his Delhi visit, Mr Naidu will meet other opposition leaders, including Sharad Pawar and National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah, whom he met earlier this month. Mr Abdullah has arrived at Mr Pawar's residence, and Mr Naidu is likely to reach shortly. 

He is also expected to meet senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily, who recently invited Mr Naidu's TDP to join the UPA.

Mr Naidu's list of grouse against the Centre has grown since he left the NDA soon after the union budget, disappointed with the meagre provisions made for his state. Over the last months, he has accused the Centre of reneging on the promise to financially support the Andhra Pradesh's new capital Amaravati, refusing the requisite financial assistance during cyclone Titli and conducting tax raids at his home as part of a "political vendetta".