NewDelhi: In a huge setback for the National Democratic Alliance, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided to quit the alliance. The decision was taken unanimously by the party politburo on Friday morning. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the TDP had been treading on a thin line after the Narendra Modi government did not allocate additional funds for Andhra Pradesh.
CM Chandrababu Naidu led TDP government had been demanding a special status for Andhra Pradesh. However, they claimed that they let down by the Central government. “For four years I have been requesting the Centre but now, only under inevitable circumstances, I started fighting only to secure the state’s rights since the PM has meted out injustice,” the TDP president had said on Thursday.
The decision to pull out of the alliance comes after Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party moved a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, putting the TDP on the defensive. Thereafter the TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu had said that they may support a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the BJP-led NDA government over the issue of special status.
“I am telling this with pain and agony, 40 years of political experience and as people’s word. It is not good to play with the lives of people. If you sincerely move the no-trust motion, we will fully co-operate. If you do it by colluding, we will expose you,” the TDP president warned the Jaganmohan Reddy-led party.
YSR Congress Party MP YV Subba Reddy had met leaders of different political parties in the national capital, including Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge and CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and had given them Jaganmohan Reddy’s letter seeking their support for the no-confidence motion to be moved by YSRCP in Lok Sabha on Friday. In his letter to different political leaders Reddy wrote,”If even after this no-confidence motion, the Central government is reluctant to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, all our party MPs will tender resignation to their seats on April 6, 2018.”
Naidu had on Thursday reiterated the demand for implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and also the promises made in the Rajya Sabha at the time of bifurcation of the state to carve out Telangana. Naidu recalled that the TDP MPs had been constantly fighting in Parliament to get the promises fulfilled.
Two TDP ministers – Chowdary and Ashok Gajapathi Raju – had resigned from the Narendra Modi-led Cabinet on March 8 in protest against the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to the state. Chowdary had said the issue of special category status was very emotive for the state but the Centre had not addressed it and had added that even the special package was not adequate. He, however, had added that it would be unfair to say that the Centre did nothing for the state.
Bureau Report
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