PM Narendra Modi with Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu during the Foundation Ceremony of Amravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. (File photo)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu will hold a crucial meeting with party MPs, senior MLAs and leaders to review the party’s ties with its ally BJP. Naidu is upset with the saffron party over poor allocation for the state in the Union Budget 2018 despite repeated appeals for additional funds and incentives.
The TDP and the BJP had contested the 2014 elections in alliance and the former is the second largest party in the NDA in terms of seats won. The BJP has two MPs and five MLAs from Andhra Pradesh.
Naidu is expected to first hold a meeting of the party’s Parliamentary Committee at Vijayawada and later meet MLAs and leaders to discuss whether the alliance with the saffron party should be continued. “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.
Read | NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu disappointed with Budget, likely to review alliance with BJP
Srinivas added, “Andhra Pradesh has lost revenue base after the bifurcation since Hyderabad has gone to Telangana. Our state needs hand-holding by the Centre for some time till the revenue deficit comes down and Andhra Pradesh is up and running. The initial reaction to the budget was that we should snap ties with the BJP.”
“As an alliance party, if the BJP is not bothered about TDP, then why should we continue our ties with the NDA,” another MP said, preferring anonymity.
Read | Chorus in TDP: We will fight with Centre for Andhra Pradesh share
Despite resentment among party members, Naidu has appealed for calm and has restrained his men from making any advance comments.
While ties between the two parties have soured in the last three-and-a-half years over issues like denial of special category status, delay in the release of funding for Polavaram project and insufficient funds for the construction of its new capital, Amaravati, the state government had high expectations from the budget this year. On January 11, Naidu held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed for special provisions for the state in the budget.