New Delhi, Feb 4: Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) held a crucial meeting with MPs, senior MLAs and leaders in Vijayawada on Sunday, to review its ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Naidu is disappointed with the BJP for not addressing the needs of Andhra Pradesh in recently presented Union Budget 2018-19.
The TDP, which has been an ally of the BJP and a member of the NDA between 1998 and 2002, and again since 2013 to the present, is reportedly looking at a political alternative in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. It is being reported that the party and Chief Minister Naidu have already carried out an assessment of the pros and cons of a split with the BJP.
“The CM and TDP leaders upset with the Centre for ignoring Andhra Pradesh. Even common man is angry because of the injustice that has been done. Today, we plan to review our ties with the BJP,” Kesineni Srinivas, Vijayawada MP said.
Earlier in the day, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav had said that the party and the Centre would soon be extending the olive branch to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to resolve his concerns in a mutually beneficial to both parties.
Calling TDP a valuable ally, Madhav said,”There seems to be some kind of unhappiness, we will talk it out. TDP is an old ally of the BJP. We will tell them we are committed to the interests of Andhra Pradesh. We at the BJP are committed not only to address the TDP’s concerns with regard to the Budget proposals, but also, all other issues of concern that it may have. We will convince Naidu and the TDP not to think of severing their ties with the BJP or the NDA.”