Political Diary

The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Sunday said the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, was in touch with him during the recent political crisis.

The TD chief revealed that Mr Yeddyurappa spoke to him at length about the crisis and how he was being troubled by a politician hailing from Andhra Pradesh. Mr Naidu was speaking during his meeting with the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, along with leaders from other Opposition parties on the Obulapuram Mining Corporation controversy.

The TD president, however, did not reveal whether the purpose of Karnataka Chief Minister’s call was to seek assistance in tackling the crisis or just to find solace.

Significantly, the TD’s revival of the campaign against OMC coincided with the Karnataka crisis.

Mr Naidu told the Chief Minister that he had suggested to Mr Yeddyurappa it was better to quit the post rather than succumbing to pressure. "I told him that crying openly in public will bring disrepute to the post," Mr Naidu said.

The TD president also complained to the Chief Minister that a person from the AO could grow to a level wherein he made a Chief Minister of the state cry. The TD MLA, Mr A. Revanth Reddy, prompted Mr Naidu that Mr Yeddyurappa cried twice.

The senior TD leader, Mr Nagam Janardhan Reddy, explained the technical issues involved in the OMC row. He went on to give details since 1960 and with the help of maps he tried to establish encroachments. However, Mr Janardhan Reddy was not seen at the media point with Mr Naidu, Mr B.V. Raghavulu and Mr K. Narayana.