Rajahmundry: The rift between the Telugu Desam and BJP is widening day-by-day as the TD regime in the state is up against the BJP- led NDA at the Centre for failing to accord special status to AP despite making a promise to do so. The BJP is not happy with the way the TD senior leaders are criticising it openly.
The Union minister of state for home Indrajit Singh made an announcement in the Lok Sabha while replying to a query stating that no special status would be given to any state in the country referring to XIV Finance Commission recommendations and hinted that there might be a special package to AP.
The ruling TD leaders and the cadre went into a tizzy. TD MP from Rajahmundry M. Murali Mohan even offered to resign from his elected position if the Centre failed to do so while several senior party leaders started criticising the Centre openly alleging that it was going back on its promise.
The TD leaders and their supporters are up against the BJP on the issue and they started mounting pressure upon the party leadership to give up the alliance. Some of the leaders even expressed displeasure with the leadership as they were facing an awkward situation as they are not being allowed to take the BJP to task on several is-sues including release of funds.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed displeasure with Union civil aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and others for failing to make concrete efforts with the Centre to get more funds for state. Similarly, BJP is also not happy with its alliance with TD in the state. The party leaders are finding fault with the TD for trying to politicise the issue and tarnish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state. Referring to Union minister Indrajit Singh's remarks, the BJP leaders said that it is the PM who will take a final decision on the issue and not the MoS.
They ask why the TD leadership in the state is carrying out mis-information campaign when the Centre is willing to extend all support to AP. The BJP alleged that the TD leaders are deliberately avoiding inclusion of BJP cadre in various committees being constituted by the TD like Janmabhoomi Committee, Gudi Committee and others and said that such a move was disheartening the BJP cadre. BJP leaders say that as they require support from TD MPs in the Rajya Sabha, they are tolerating TD overtures.
