*
BJP ministers in the
Andhra Pradesh government, Dr Kamineni Srinivas and Pydikondala Manikyala Rao, have resigned from the state cabinet, reported ANI.
* "Our ministers in central cabinet and BJP ministers in our cabinet have resigned. However, these ministers worked good in the state. They brought considerable reforms in their departments. I thank them for their services,"
TDP boss and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu said in the state Assembly after the development.
*Speaking in the state Assembly today, Naidu accused the Centre of "holding the hand" of northeastern states, but not doing the same for Andhra Pradesh. He demanded to know the reason for this "discrimination."
* Civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Union minister of science and technology Srujana Chowdary, both of whom belong to the TDP, are also expected to resign from their posts today, a day after their party attacked the BJP government at the Centre for "betraying" Andhra Pradesh.
* "We have taken the decision to pull out two TDP ministers, civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Union minister of science and technology Srujana Chowdary, from the Union cabinet as all our efforts to get special category status failed. It was a last resort decision," Naidu had said yesterday.
* Naidu's remarks came hours after finance minister Arun Jaitley said the Centre could not accommodate TDP's demands for "special category" status or tax relief for the state.
Jaitley said that while the Centre would give assistance equivalent to Special Category status, the designation itself could not be conferred because it has ceased to exist after the implementation of the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.
* Naidu later tweeted that he had "tried reaching out to the Prime Minister to inform him about our decision. But sadly, he was unavailable."
* However, it is still unclear if the TDP will pull out of the BJP-led NDA.
* The TDP has 16 members in the Lok Sabha and four in the Rajya Sabha.
(With inputs from agencies)
All Comments ()+^ Back to Top
Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.
HIDE