BJP Sees 'Opportunity' as Chandrababu Naidu Snaps Ties With NDA; No-Confidence Motion Fuels Tensions

Hyderabad: TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu pulled out of the NDA on Friday over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh. The party also gave a separate no-confidence notice against the Centre in Lok Sabha.

"We have decided to move out of NDA. The support has been removed. We gave them (BJP-led NDA) time to change their mind, but nothing happened," senior TDP leader CM Ramesh said, following which BJP said that TDP's decision was inevitable after "its mischievous propaganda" against the Centre.

In a statement, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) confirmed the move and said that TDP has decided to quit NDA, and the decision was unanimously taken by party politburo. Naidu alleged that the BJP and PM Modi are "trying to weaken regional parties".

Telugu Desam MP Thota Narasimham submitted a no-confidence notice to Lok Sabha secretary general Snehlata Srivastava against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Friday.

"TDP's decision to quit was inevitable after "its mischievous propaganda" against Centre. People of AP have now realised that the TDP is resorting to lies to cover up its inept & inert governance. Far from being a threat, TDP's exit is a timely opportunity for the BJP to grow in AP," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted.

Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed the TDP's decision and said that the "current situation warrants such action to save the country from disaster". In a tweet, the CM also requested opposition parties to work against "atrocities, economic calamity and political instability".

Earlier, Naidu's party had decided to support YSR Congress Party's motion against the Modi government in the Parliament. However, after a meeting of the TDP members, they decided to give a separate no-confidence motion.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister had been under pressure from YSR Congress chief Jagan Reddy, who had dared him to pull out of the alliance as both leaders engage in a game of one-upmanship on the issue of special status. Reddy had alleged that Naidu was not doing so as he was afraid of "witch-hunting" by Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

The YSR Congress Party is also set to move a no-confidence motion against the NDA government on Friday.

The TDP had returned to BJP-led NDA a month before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It had severed ties with the BJP after its debacle at the hands of Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress in 2004. Naidu had even called BJP a communal party which had drowned him with it.

The popularity of Jaganmohan Reddy and the Modi wave in urban pockets of AP forced Naidu to go for an alliance with the BJP. He had taken a huge risk and it had paid off.

But the relationship has never been the same post results. Naidu was miffed with Modi over allocation of portfolios to no special aid to Andhra Pradesh.

Realising that BJP was keeping back channel talks with the YSRCP open, Naidu decided to pull the plug. ​

According to sources, TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu may also call on BSP chief Mayawati and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in a bid to forge new alliances.

Sources told News18 that TDP president Chandrababu Naidu has decided to walk out of the NDA and announcement can be made anytime. "They are also bringing no confidence separately against centre," they said.

Sources said that almost all of the party’s MPs and MLAs have backed the decision as this is the only logical next step in their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh. Party leaders are of the view that the party must take all decisions that are of the best interest for the state, they said.

TDP leaders said that Naidu is livid with the BJP playing “dirty” politics instead of resolving the issues faced by the people. Earlier in the day, the Andhra CM, while addressing his party leaders via teleconference, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hit out at the BJP for pitting others against him.

"Instead of giving what Andhra Pradesh people are rightfully asking for, the BJP is resorting to using Jagan Mohan Reddy and Pawan Kalyan against us," Naidu said.

Raising the sentiment of Telugu pride, Naidu added, "We are fighting for self-respect, the rights of Telugu people and the implementation of promises made to us. Instead of honouring them, Narendra Modi and BJP are involved in doing collusion politics."

The remarks come after Pawan Kalyan, Jana Sena party chief, made serious allegations of corruption against Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Nara Lokesh at a public meeting in Guntur on Wednesday. “This is the final option. The CM is livid that instead of resolving issues faced by the state, the BJP is indulging in dirty politics that it played in Tamil Nadu,’’ TDP leader Kambhampati Rammohan Rao said.

Chandrababu Naidu has also been under pressure from YSR Congress chief Jagan Reddy, who had dared him to pull out of the alliance as both leaders engage in a game of one-upmanship on the issue of special status. Reddy had alleged that Naidu was not doing so as he was afraid of "witch-hunting" by Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

The YSR Congress Party will move the no-confidence motion against the NDA government soon. With the BJP government enjoying absolute majority in Lok Sabha, the central government is under no threat of collapsing.

Party president Jaganmohan Reddy has written to all parties seeking their support on special status for Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to News18, YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy said, “Lok Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy will move the no-confidence motion in the House on Friday. Our party leadership is seeking support from other parties.”

The YSR Congress has decided to take lead in the matter as the public is associating the issue with Telugu pride and it has become a hot election topic. On March 8, the TDP had withdrawn its two ministers from the Union Cabinet, accusing the BJP of reneging on its promises to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Sources in TDP told News18 that the “hasty, unjust and unscientific bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh” had deeply hurt the sentiments of people in the state.

“Not only the bifurcation had left deep scars on the lives of people in the state, it had made the state suffer from huge revenue deficit, lack of capital city, lack of institutions and many more. We had to build our state from scratch,” the source said. He added that Naidu has been working relentlessly and is only asking the Centre to handhold the state and fulfil what is rightfully theirs.

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