Chorus in TDP: We will fight with Centre for Andhra share
Congress MP in Rajya Sabha K V P Ramachandra Rao at Parliament on Friday. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey) Congress MP in Rajya Sabha K V P Ramachandra Rao at Parliament on Friday. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
A day after leaders of the TDP, an ally of the NDA at the Centre, expressed “disappointment” over the omission of issues concerning Andhra Pradesh from the Union budget, party MPs on Friday said they would “fight” for the state’s share of resources from the Centre.
“We are at war now, and we will fight to get Andhra’s share of resources from the Centre. We will try to continue in the alliance but if it does not work out, we will exit the alliance and our MPs will quit,’’ TDP MP T G Venkatesh told the media. TDP MPs were flying down to Vijayawada for a meeting with CM N Chandrababu Naidu to review ties with the BJP.
Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, a TDP MP, told the media, “CM Naidu cooperates with the NDA in every aspect. He is trying hard to get work done in Andhra after bifurcation, but does not get cooperation from the Centre. During the Congress regime, MPs could get a lot of work done but with BJP… they only listen to RSS.”
The TDP and BJP were in alliance for the 2014 elections, but relations have soured since then, with the TDP accusing the Centre of neglecting the state after its bifurcation in 2014. Naidu is learnt to have expressed his disappointment with the budget at a Cabinet meeting in Amaravati.
However, with Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of the Opposition YSR Congress Party upping the ante, the TDP is likely to be cautious about precipitating anything that could lead to snapping of ties with the BJP. Recently, Naidu asked his colleagues in the party and Cabinet not to make any comments against BJP leaders. Jagan, who is on statewide padayatra, has accused the Naidu administration of failing on all fronts and stated that his party is willing to join the NDA if the BJP promises Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.
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