: City TDP MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary on Monday indicated that his party would not hesitate to sever ties with the BJP if the NDA government at the Centre continued to be indifferent to the needs of Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing TDP workers’ meeting along with MP Maganti Muralimohan here, Mr. Chowdary said when the party decided to go with the NDA government, it had expected full support from the Centre as the State faced several problems. The TDP might have to reconsider its support if the Centre failed to respond.
He said challenging the Centre was not something new for the Telugu Desam. When Telugu pride was at stake, party founder and former Chief Minister, N.T. Rama Rao took on the Centre. People gave a massive mandate to the TDP in the 2014 Assembly elections while punishing the Congress for failing to safeguard the interests of Andhra Pradesh. The BJP would face a similar situation if it ignored the interest of AP.
“Alliance is always reciprocal but our ally is not responding properly to our genuine demands. The Centre has given only Rs. 2,800 crore for the construction of the capital till now. How can a State build a capital with such meagre amount? Similarly, the Centre has sanctioned just Rs. 3,800 crore for the Polavaram project and expects it to be completed by 2018. Is it possible to complete a major irrigation project in two years’ time with such measly allocations?” he asked.
‘Smear campaign’
In Vijayawada, BJP leaders D. Umamaheswara Raju and Vellampalli Srinivas found fault with TDP leaders for harping on Special Category Status which falls beyond the scope of the A.P Reorganisation Act.
They questioned how A.P. could stand second in the Ease of Doing Business ranking after Gujarat in just two years after bifurcation.
“The TDP leaders can talk to the Prime Minister for getting the issues resolved instead of misleading people,” they observed.
Addressing media persons, Mr. Umamaheswara Raju said the State Ministers were keen on taking credit for various initiatives, like 24X7 power supply, of the Central government.
