BJP national spokesperson and MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy has said the Union Government’s funds are not meant for pilferage to meet the political ends of the TDP government.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State, Mr. Rudy said the TDP government was “stressed” and hence attacking the Centre, and under stress mounted by other political leaders it was announcing new schemes.

The State government claimed that ₹1.16 lakh crore was due from the Central government.

Opposition rally

Terming the Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as “a rally of contradictions,” Mr. Rudy said it had no manifesto of development or change, and its only agenda was to oppose Mr. Modi.

Opposing groups such as the SP and the BSP, which had come together in Uttar Pradesh denying a place for the Congress, attended, and so did the Congress, he said. Even in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress announced that it would go it alone.

However, even after the rally, Ms. Banerjee was not accepted as the Prime Ministerial nominee, he said.

Railway zone

On the railway zone issue, Mr. Rudy referred to the condition in Bihar with maximum number of zones and said it was a political and emotive issue. For efficient running of the Railways, instead of zones, political leaders should ask for more divisions, he said.

Mr. Rudy said owing to the efforts of the Modi government, India jumped from the 11th largest economy in 2014 to the 6th largest now, and, in the next five years, it would become a $5 trillion economy. GDP growth was maintained between 7.2 and 7.3 percent and inflation brought down to 2.1 to 2.3 %, he said.

‘No vacancy in Delhi’

Asked to comment on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s protest in New Delhi on February 11, Mr. Rudy said, “Sometimes, we hear that Ms. Banjerjee is coming to Delhi, and now it’s Mr. Naidu. But there is no vacancy in Delhi.”

MLC P.V.N. Madhav and party city president M. Nagendra were among those present.