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Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu's choices for presidential and vice-presidential candidates are Vice-President Krishna Kant and Andhra Pradesh Governor C Rangarajan respectively, a senior official of the Prime Minister's Office told rediff.com on Saturday.
The Andhra Pradesh chief minister conveyed this to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday, he said.
Naidu met Kant on Friday at the latter's residence to assure him of the TDP's support.
The chief minister will meet Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Saturday to apprise the latter of his party's choices, the official pointed out.
The TDP chief also presented to the prime minister a wishlist. Among other things, he wanted one million tonnes of rice for the Food for Work Programme, the waiving of excise duty on yank yarn and permission to the Marine Products Export Development Authority to raise Rs 7 billion through bonds, the official indicated.
With his latest demands, the TDP chief has made it clear that he will pursue a carrot-and-stick policy with the National Democratic Alliance.
During his dinner meeting with party MPs at Andhra Bhavan on Friday evening, Naidu apprised them of the strategy that they must pursue in and outside Parliament.
This includes keeping up the demand for the removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and not compromising on the party's secular values.
"His [Naidu] strategy is to keep both us [NDA] and the Opposition happy. It's neither here nor there but we will keep up the charade as long as it is mutually beneficial," a Lok Sabha member from Ranchi told rediff.com
"Prime Minister Vajpayee insists that nothing should be done, which would drive the TDP away from the NDA. He is still not certain how long the Bahujan Samaj Party will support his government," he said.
The BJP leadership was visibly happy when TDP parliamentary party leader K Yerran Naidu did not hesitate to second the nomination papers of Manohar Joshi for the post of Lok Sabha speaker.
Earlier, during the censure motion on Gujarat in the Lok Sabha on April 30, the TDP MPs had caused consternation among the BJP members by walking out of the House before voting was conducted.
But with Naidu's latest visit to Delhi, the prime minister has heaved a sigh of relief that the remaining part of the budget session will not see any major 'upheavals' for the NDA.
ALSO SEE Naidu meets PM; differences persist The Sabarmati in Flames: The Complete Coverage
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