Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday evening, met BJP president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to reportedly discuss an alliance ahead of the Telangana assembly election this year and 2024 general elections. The meeting lasted for an hour.

Reports said, both the parties may go into an alliance for the upcoming elections. The meeting between the leaders lasted for about half an hour.

During the Narendra Modi led NDA came to the power at Centre in 2014, Naidu’s TDP was a part of the alliance until March 2018, when it broke the alliance on the special status issue to Andhra Pradesh.

The decision that was taken by Naidu just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he had then said it was in concern with the Centre overlooking Andhra Pradesh in the annual budget of the Centre.

Both the parties came together after the recent municipal elections in Port Blair. In March this year the Port-Blair municipal elections the TDP emerged as the kingmaker backing the BJP in the council formation.

If the two parties extended ties, it is expected to come as a shot in the arm for the BJP which has an aspiring target of expanding its footprint in Andhra Pradesh and and other southern region.

The Centre ruled party recently lost the Karnataka assembly elections, the lone southern state, where the party was in power.

However, the failure of the Karnataka Assembly elections has shifted BJP’s senior leadership’s attention to other states in South India, particularly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where the party does not want to give the Congress any influence.

Reports said, while the TDP has emerged as one of the key opposition parties in Telangana, it has struggled to find support among the politically dominant castes in Andhra Pradesh.

Amid the speculations of an alliance between the TDP and BJP, both the parties have been throwing signals about a possible alliance in the near future.

The TDP recently distanced itself from the opposition’s move to boycott the Parliament inauguration event and marked its presence.

Reports said, the BJP leadership has made Telangana the party’s priority in its Mission South and has advanced in the state’s local body elections.

Several BJP leaders were quick to pounce on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comment at the National Press Club in Washington DC calling the Muslim League a secular party.

In his interaction in Washington DC, Rahul Gandhi said the Muslim League is a completely secular party and is in alliance with the Muslim League in Kerala as part of the United Democratic Front. Gandhi said there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League and questioned the reporter’s knowledge about the Muslim League.

Senior BJP leaders said Rahul Gandhi is insulting India from foreign shores. Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said Rahul Gandhi should apologise for his comments and should speak about it to the people in India once he is here.

Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said he does not take Rahul Gandhi seriously and blamed the comment on a Congress tendency. He said the comment was dangerous as such seeds of division can grow up to be challenges to the country.

Former Law Minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju criticised Rahul Gandhi’s statement on the Muslim League’s secular character. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya criticized Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.

In response, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera hit out at Malviya on Twitter and questioned the BJP IT Cell chief’s wisdom and awareness about the Muslim League. He schooled him about the difference between the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala and the Muslim League of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

During the Washington DC interaction, Rahul Gandhi held forth on various topics including the party’s chances in the 2024 Lok Sabha, the move for Opposition unity to take on the BJP and the perils of unemployment that has been encircling India. Gandhi said his party was holding regular dialogue with all Opposition parties, there is a lot of good work happening in that regard.

In an exclusive interview to APN News, Goa’s Tourism, Information Technology, including Printing and Stationery, Minister Rohan Khaunte spoke of the future of Goa scaling new heights in tourism. Khaunte not only wants to imprint the identity of Goa on the world map as a location for beautiful beaches but also for history, tradition and heritage. Excerpts from the interview:

Question: How will tourism of Goa evolve over the next 20 years, what initiatives are you taking to further it?

Minister Khaunte: Till now, the tourism of Goa was dependent on the excellent sea here, but now we are moving forward thinking of changing this image of Goa. Tourists will come to Goa only when we make special preparations for new and different programmes for them. Every year, no one will come to see the sea of Goa. Goa will now witness many projects like Spiritual, Adventure Tourism, Eco and Hinterland Tourism, which will be a huge opportunity for tourists. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Mopa airport in North Goa. This project will provide many possibilities in the tourism sector. Along with tourism, we have also started the facility of home stay, under which tourists will get a pleasant experience of tourism in the interior areas of Goa.

Question: What steps are being taken for the protection of the environment in Goa in the next 10 years?

Minister Khaunte: The natural environment is God’s gift to Goa. No new tourism project will come up which will harm this environment. Before bringing a new project, a complete study of its impact on the environment will be done. No project will be approved without study, which may become a threat to the environment here. We have constituted the Goa State Tourism Board, which decides on the proposal for a new project after brainstorming. Goa is the first state to constitute this board.

Question: After late Manohar Parrikar, you are representing the people of Goa in other parts of the country, how do you see the political future of Goa as a minister?

Minister Khaunte: I have been an eyewitness to many political ups and downs in Goa, I have also been a participant several times. I worked as the Minister of Revenue, Employment, Printing and Printed Materials for two-and-a-half years in the Parrikar government. In the Assembly elections of 2012 and 2017, I was elected as an independent candidate. But in the 2022 election, I contested as a BJP candidate and won. It is true that along with Parrikarji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister Nitin Gadkari, former Maharashra CM and current Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have also been instrumental in my joining the party. I consider myself a public servant first. It is my earnest desire to do the work necessary for the welfare of the people of Goa along with the keeping the image of Goa.

Question: How do you see your political future?

Minister Khaunte: Politics is the only field where what you think does not happen. Your future is decided by the people who elect you. Do good work, you will get good results. If you do a wrong thing, the people can also show you the way home. The people liked the work I did as an independent MLA till now, this is the reason that voters gave me a third chance in March 2022 after joining the BJP. It is my duty to not let down the trust reposed in me by the people for the third time. I am dedicated to fulfilling my duty. I know that if one does good work, the people will support you.

Question: How can cultural and heritage tourism of Goa be handled in an era of modernization?

Minister Khaunte: The cultural and heritage tourism of Goa has progressed with tradition for many years. The cultural and traditional tourism here has been the specialty of Goa. Temples, churches and many historical sites have been highlights of Goa’s tourism. Be it the Mahadev Temple of Tambdi Surla, Saptakoteshwar Temple of Narve or other temples of Goa, thousands of years of heritage is behind it. Even after years, his specialty did not get affected in the era of modernization. Recently, the Saptakoteshwar temple in Narve was reconstructed. But during this time, care was taken that the tradition and history were maintained. This temple was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Question: What role will the Information Technology sector play in presenting the tourism industry of Goa to the world?

Minister Khaunte: The role of the Information Technology sector will be very important. In the digital age, where all the services are under the control of information technology, integration of tourism sector with it can bring a big change. Goa is the only state where we started the concept of #WorkingGoa. Under this, the IT class coming to Goa could stay connected to office along with their vacation. Work is on to bring about improvements in connectivity issues in rural areas. Tourism and information technology have an inextricable relationship. This relationship has been worked out keeping in mind that both will walk on a new path of development in the region which is just beginning.

Question: What is your opinion about the political ups and downs at the Centre in 2024 and how can Goa’s economy go ahead other than tourism?

Minister Khaunte: Not only the whole country, the world is also watching the work experience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That’s why India has emerged as Vishwaguru. Keeping this in view, I do not think that there is a possibility of a change at the Centre in 2024. It is the good fortune of India to have a leader like Modi. The India which other countries were seeing from a different point of view till date has now changed, and everyone is now looking at India with respect. This is the charisma of Modi. This is the result of his ideology, I believe. As for 2024, this time the slogan of 400 (Lok Sabha seats) will be there.

If you talk about Goa’s economy, the mining has been its mainstay till now, but after it was stopped, the burden of the state’s economy fell on tourism industry. Over the years, tourism has contributed a lot to revenue. It will increase further with new projects and possibilities.

Many new proposals are in front to strengthen the economy of Goa, which is dependent on the tourism industry. They will be implemented only after detailed consideration. These schemes have the potential to boost tourism as well as strengthen the economy of the state.