Naidu meets Gowda, Kumaraswamy for post-poll alliance

Bengaluru, May 22 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday discussed forging a non-BJP alliance after the results of the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday with Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here, a party official said.

"Naidu met Gowda and Kumaraswamy at the latter's residence in the city's southern suburb and sought their party's support for forming a non-BJP alliance and staking claim to power in the event of a fractured verdict and a hung Parliament," JD-S official Ramesh Babu told IANS here.

The JD-S, which is in power in the southern state with the Congress, has agreed to being a part of such an alliance and even endorsed Congress President Rahul Gandhi for the Prime Minister's post.

"Naidu also apprised Gowda and Kumaraswamy of his discussions with Gandhi, TMC President Mamata Banerjee, BSP President Mayawati, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and other allies for a post-poll alliance to prevent the BJP from returning to power in a hung Parliament," said Babu.

The JD-S has contested in only 7 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats across the state, allowing the Congress in the remaining 21 seats as part of a pre-poll seat sharing arrangement for fielding joint candidates against the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Naidu has agreed to call on both the JD-S leaders on Thursday after all the Lok Sabha results are declared and requested them to be in New Delhi on Friday for a meeting of the non-BJP alliance leaders, Babu added.