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Naidu calls for abrogation of Article 356

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu has called for the scrapping of Article 356 of the Constitution and supported former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma's view that foreign-born nationals should not be allowed to hold the key posts of President, vice-president and prime minister.

Addressing reporters before embarking on a day's tour of Haryana to address a series of election meetings for the Indian National Lok Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party, both partners of the TDP in the ruling National Democratic Alliance, Naidu said he had come to expose the Congress.

"I am here to tell the people of Haryana that it would be in their interest to vote for the INLD-BJP candidates if you want to have development worth the name. I was here in Haryana in 1987 along with my father-in-law N T Ramarao, but then I could not address you because he was a tall figure. Now I have come to tell you that you have an excellent administrator in Om Prakash Chautala and you should vote for him because he will give you real development," he said.

Naidu lashed out at the Congress for its "political bankruptcy". "In a country of 100 crore people they could not find a single leader who could lead the party. They have instead made Sonia Gandhi president. The lady from Italy is now leading a national party," he sniggered.

"The Congress party has ruined the country in the last 45 years of its rule," he added."Corruption has become rampant. The party is gradually going down. In the last election it has come down from 142 to 112 [seats in the Lok Sabha]. You must save yourself from the Congress party and cast your vote in favour of the INLD-BJP combine," he told thousands of people who had gathered in a school compound in Village Kanonda to hear him and Chautala.

He stressed time and again why he had come to canvas for the INLD-BJP alliance. He said the country is safe in the hands of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

As for his own ambitions, he said, "I have a personal commitment. I want to change the agenda from excessive political orientation to development orientation. I have been working for the people of my state and that is why they have given me a mandate once more to serve them," he told the audience.

According to Naidu coalition governments will rule for quite some time. "This is the order of the day," he said. "I have already started giving 33 per cent reservation to women in all spheres of life. I hope others will follow suit."

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