Telugu Desam Party to break alliance with NDA-BJP and support Congress

After BJP, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is the largest party in the state of Telangana. Will the marriage between the BJP and TDP be split?

TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu pulled out of the NDA on Friday and is set to bring a no-confidence separately against the Centre. The decision was taken after central government “failed to respect the sentiments of the people of Andhra Pradesh by not granting the Special Category Status”.

“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,” said senior TDP leader, CM Ramesh.

In a statement, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) confirmed their move and said that TDP has decided to quit NDA, and the decision was unanimously taken by party politburo. 

READ ALSO: BJP leader reacts on TDP’s decision to leave NDA alliance

According to a news channel, Naidu and his party are also bringing a no-confidence separately against the Centre.

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 the no-confidence motion against the NDA government in Parliament on Friday.

The TDP had come back 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.

READ ALSO: Amid TDP-BJP tussle, Prime Minister Modi passes a message to Andhra

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 the 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.