BJP alliance a political compulsion: Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad, April 7: One of its key southern alliances-

-is not comfortable with BJP's Ram Mandir clause in the manifesto. Answering uncomfortable questions, just a day after resurrecting his ties in BJP, The TDP chief

said that his party always had a secular record.

He said,"The alliance was a political compulsion, but the nation needs parties with secular credentials. TDP always had a secular record and we will fight for it," Mr Naidu told reporters. "Under all circumstances we have to maintain the secular fabric of the country."

BJP has attracted the ire of the opposition and its alliances for two of its other clauses in the manifesto-a uniform civil code and the removal of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

In fact, a senior member of the party and the editor of Siasat-Zahid Ali Khan quit the party protesting against the alliance.

Naidu avoided questions related to his previous stand against Narendra Modi blaming him for the rout of the BJP-led coalition in 2004. He said,"Recently the court have a clear verdict, so we need not discuss it."

The TDP leader had severed all ties with the BJP after calling Modi a divisive politician and calling the alliance the biggest mistake of his life in 2004. However, a court upheld the Supreme Court inquiry's report that Modi's role had no evidence.

Currently, Naidu said,"Modi and I are a win-win combination. Both stand for development."

OneIndia News