Chandrababu Naidu game for NDA Cabinet, says Seemandhra top priority

New Delhi:  Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday announced that his party would join the NDA government and stressed that it was the “joint responsibility” of his and Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi to put the Seemandhra state on development track.

Addressing a press conference at the Andhra Bhavan in New Delhi, the chief minister-in-waiting said the country was waiting for a “clean and honest administration” which would be fulfilled when Mr Modi took over as the PM.

Mr Naidu added that the Telugu Desam would join the NDA government, a departure from the Telugu Desam’s stand during A.B. Vajpayee’s tenure during 1999-2004 when it gave outside support. Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi, for 30 minutes, however did not elaborate on how many berths his party would get in the Modi Cabinet.

“We will join the government. This is the fifth non-Congress government that is being formed at the Centre. The Telugu Desam has either been part of all the earlier non-Congress governments or had initiated the groupings. We will be joining the NDA Government,” Mr Naidu said.

He also downplayed his rival and YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s meeting with Mr Modi, saying it was a “non-issue”. Asked about the cases against Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, Mr Naidu said though his government would not be vindictive and would let the law take its own course.

To a question whether he would have a tough job building the state from scratch, Mr Naidu replied: “There is a crisis. There is an opportunity. That is my nature. I have proved it and will prove it again.”