Is the Telugu Desam gearing up to take the final step of severing ties with the BJP ? There were strong indications on Tuesday when a majority of the MLAs preferred to say goodbye to the alliance over the Special Category Status.
When unofficial reports from Union Finance Ministry suggesting that the Centre had ruled out the possibility of granting SCS and plumped for the special package reached him, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reportedly held an instant opinion poll among the MLAs and the MLCs.
He gave three options to them during the legislature party meeting: severe ties immediately, wait and watch or keep building pressure on the Centre. The majority raised their hands in favour of the first option, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, MLA, told The Hindu .
A cautious Mr. Naidu told the party legislators that he would make his view known to them during his reply to the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister is believed to have got disappointed when he heard that the Centre had rejected the demand and the incentives to industry on the ground that other States might seek it. How could they compare AP which started off with a host of disadvantages with other States? When the SCS funds were still being extended why these should be denied to AP?
On the Opposition parties’ suggestion to move a no-confidence motion against the Modi government, Mr. Naidu wondered if it was an effective weapon. “We require 50 signatures and even if we do that there will be a debate for a day or so and till the next six months we may not be able to talk about it,” an MLC said quoting him.
Mr. Naidu was “änguished”, the MLC said, with the Centre’s reported stand that it could not take decisions based on “people’s sentiment” (in favour of the SCS) and the alleged comparison with the funds allotted to Defence in times of peace. Is that the way the Central government should behave, he asked recalling the status of the Congress now. The TDP had joined the NDA government hoping it would be beneficial to the State and all that it was asking was to implement the assurance of the SCS and the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, passed by Parliament.
A senior TDP leader said Mr. Naidu may not take a hasty decision but would wait for an official statement from the Union Finance Ministry and the feedback given by the party’s team that spoke to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi on its return on Wednesday.
