Rajnath Singh talks to Chandrababu Naidu; TDP not to sever ties with BJP
Vijayawada: The Telugu Desam’s distress at Andhra Pradesh being overlooked in the Union budget was somewhat assuaged by the intervention of Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday.
Mr Singh spoke to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and assured him that issues concerning the state would be addressed and urged him not to take any extreme steps. He said the BJP national president Amit Shah would be speaking to the Chief Minister.
Somewhat mollified, the TD Parliamentary Party (TDPP) has decided to confine itself to protests on the floor of the House from Monday, with members carrying placards and slogans to the Speaker’s podium.
Silent protests will be held in front of the Gandhi statue at Parliament. Mr Naidu was so upset with the Budget allocation for AP that he expressed it strongly at the three-hour TDPP meeting on Sunday. There was even some indication that the TD would review its alliance with the BJP. Mr Naidu said it was time to be more vocal as it is “our responsibility to protect the state’s interests”.
Though he could take the extreme steps if needed, Mr Naidu said it was also necessary to lie keep low for some time as the state requires Central support being newly born. He compared the state to a baby with malnutrition if it doesn’t get Central support.
He said he isn’t scared of cases being filed against him as is charged by the Opposition, but is very concerned about the interests of AP.
Briefing the TDPP meeting, Union minister Y.S. Chowdary said that the Centre must be pressurised for allocations and other pending commitments, but made it clear that the TD did not intend to break its alliance with the BJP. Whatever Chief Minister decides, we will stand by it, but we are not happy with the BJP budget allotted to Andhra Pradesh, he said.
Mr Chowdary added that till now there has been no communication between Mr Amit Shah and the Chief Minister, but Mr Rajnath Singh had intimated that Mr Shah was planning to speak with Mr Naidu.
