“We will not hesitate to revive a third front, as then created by TDP founder NT Rama Rao and pitch against BJP in the 2019 general elections, if the BJP-led NDA Government does not give us funds that have been promised or give us the Special Category Status,” said MLC Rajendra Prasad.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, he said “if our demands are not met, we will go ahead with the creation of the third front with Chandrababu Naidu, as its leader.”
He also said the TDP MPs and Ministers were ready to resign, if things are not settled quickly.
But he was quick to add that the fight was between the Centre and the State Government and not between BJP and TDP or Modi and Chandrababu Naidu.
Special package
On why Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had then accepted the special package and did not stick to the SCS demand and now the sudden change in stand, Mr. Rajendra Prasad said, “We were promised special package and we accepted it as the Finance Minister had said that it was not possible to give the SCS, but its component will be equivalent to the SCS. But in the last budget there was no mention of its fulfilment or allotment of funds.”
According to him the NDA government could allot ₹ 1 lakh crore for the bullet train and ₹ 1700 crores for building a meeting centre in Gujarat, but for Amravati the allocation was a meagrely ₹ 1500 crore.
The MLC also said BJP leaders, including Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu, were parroting the Centre’s dictum, but not talking in favour of the State or constituencies.
Payakraopeta MLA V. Anitha said BJP leaders and Ministers should talk only after ascertaining the facts. “They should check the records to find out what has been promised and what has been given,” she said.
