Chandrababu walks tightrope over Togadia

Unlike Laloo, who not only flung Advani into prison but actually sacrificed the VP Singh-led National Front Government in power at the Centre, which collapsed after the BJP withdrew support, Naidu is in no mood to destabilise the NDA Government. It is something the Andhra CM has become adept at.

The last time Naidu gave the NDA government a scare was after the Gujarat carnage in March 2002, when he insisted Chief Minister Narendra Modi step down. But he made a turnaround when his party abstained from a crucial vote in Parliament.

And so, yet again, Naidu continues to sail in two boats, ensuring to keep a fragile communal peace in the state, while continuing to live in a rewarding, mutually contractual relationship with the BJP.

Explains a senior TDP leader: ‘‘With Togadia’s arrest, Naidu is not just playing to the Muslim votebank. He is sending a larger message across the political spectrum. He is positioning himself for the future.

In the eventuality of a non-BJP coalition at the Centre, Naidu can turn around and say he always took a firm stand against the communal policies of the BJP and the Parivar.’’

According to TDP sources, Naidu is secure in the hope that confidence-building exercises with the 12-13 per cent Muslim population in the state — like grants to Urdu education — will reap him rewards in the Assembly elections due late next year.

‘‘While there is no guarantee Muslims will vote the TDP, it is generally safe to assume the community still sees him as someone who will come to their rescue,’’ say party insiders.

TDP sources say it is not surprising that Naidu acted so swiftly. ‘‘There is no give or take with the VHP. Togadia’s arrest only helps build Naidu’s image as a no-nonsense Chief Minister and administrator. Andhra Pradesh has not seen a communal riot since 1992-93,’’ they say. The administration then, too, had moved quickly to prevent any flare-up in the state.

Party sources say Naidu is also peeved that the BJP did not act responsibly and stop Togadia from embarrassing his government. But, they concede, the BJP itself has often disowned the VHP’s actions and statements in public.

TDP sources say Togadia’s arrest is in keeping with Naidu’s firm actions against communally provocative situations in the recent past. A couple of months back, Khadgum, a Telugu film, portrayed Indian Muslims and Pakistanis as two sides of the same coin. The state government asked the Censor Board to take a second look at the film and issued public statements against it.