Hyderabad: In a surprise development, the Telugu Desam has decided to extend full support to the Modi government. Before and after the Lok Sabha elections, the Telugu Desam had strongly criticised Mr Modi. Sheer self-preservation has probably prompted the party’s leadership to change its mind.
The TD has supported the BJP’s nominee for the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla. The Telugu Desam leader in the Lok Sabha, Galla Jayadev, and party whip K. Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday supported Mr Modi’s choice.
Mr Rammohan Naidu said in the LS, “Telugu Desam will extend full support to Narendra Modi government for all its good decisions for the development of the country.”
Mr Rammohan Naidu requested the Speaker not to reduce the time to be allotted to the TD in the Lok Sabha even though its strength in the House has reduced.
Looking at the Prime Minister, the TD MP said that the TD will extend full support to the schemes and decisions taken by the Modi government for the development of the state.
The TD was in alliance with the BJP in 2014 and came to power in AP. Mr Naidu even had BJP MLAs in his Cabinet and at the Centre, Mr Modi had taken TD MPs into his Cabinet. It was the contentious issue of special status that prompted the TD in 2017 to break its ties with the BJP and its NDA alliance.
During and before the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Naidu tried hard to unite all anti-BJP political parties into having an alliance with the Congress. He was confident of retaining power in AP in the Assembly elections and of the defeat of the BJP at the Centre. But both results proved him wrong.
Sources said Mr Naidu has decided to maintain a distance from the Congress and to try to get close to the BJP again.
