In what is viewed as an effort to set the stage for a possible post-poll alliance at the Centre, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu shared a dais and addressed a public rally in Raichur on Friday. Both Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Naidu launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in the same region on Thursday. Before Mr. Gandhi arrived more than two hours behind schedule, Mr. Naidu spoke to the large gathering in Telugu, a language widely understood in this border district. Mr. Gowda and Mr. Siddaramaiah, who spoke after him, followed the same line of attack and said they would work together to keep the BJP at bay. Mr. Gowda said Mr. Modi, who during his recent visit to Karnataka had termed the Congress–JD(S) government in the State as “adulterated” (maha milavat) government, should “mind his language”.

Source: The Hindu April 19, 2019 18:34 UTC