Chandrababu Naidu to meet Rahul Gandhi, discuss opposition alliance

In an official statement,  the TDP hainted at the "likelihood" of a key announcement with regards to "the emerging political equations."

  The party said he would also meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah to impress upon them the dire need to surge ahead politically.

“In the interest of the future of the country, he will be acting as a bridge to unite various political parties and defeat the NDA allies led by the BJP,” it said.

Wednesday’s visit to the capital would be Chandrababu Naidu's second as CM  within a week, as he seeks to position himself as a leader who could fashion the anti-NDA alliance ahead of the 2019 general elections. On Saturday, he had met Mayawati, Arvind Kejriwal and Sharad Yadav.

Since the TDP broke away from the NDA earlier this year over the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, Naidu has often came up wit sharp criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

Simultaneously, he has hinted he has no problem with being a part of a national alliance with the Congress, saying there could not be one without there being one national party in the mix. The stance has surprised observers as the Congress was seen as the villain behind the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.