BJP forming govt in 2019 a distant dream, says Chandrababu Naidu

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is a “campaign PM who has failed to deliver on promises” and said the BJP would “definitely not come to power in 2019”.

Inaugurating Mahanadu, the TDP's annual conclave here, he said the Telugu Desam Party played a key role in forming governments in the past and had the power to change the political narrative in the country, hinting that it would tie-up with like-minded parties to stop the BJP's juggernaut in 2019.

“The Congress is in the opposition. It cannot do much. But the BJP will definitely not come to power in 2019,” he said.

Naidu said the BJP coming to power in 2019 was a “distant dream” and Prime Minister Narendra was a “campaign PM, who gives slogans only, and has failed to deliver on promises”. The party president said the TDP was key in forming the United Front government in 1996.

“The TDP has in the past played a key role in forming governments. It has the power to change the political narrative in the country. We won't step back,” Naidu said.

He said the TDP withdrew support from the NDA government as the Centre had reneged on its promise to grant Andhra Pradesh Special Category status and to implement the AP Reorganisation Act.

Naidu accused the BJP of betraying the people of Andhra Pradesh and trying to create law and order problems in the state in collusion with the YSRCP. During Mahanadu, the TDP would adopt resolutions against the economic decisions taken by the Centre "without proper thinking, their improper implementation, failure of the Goods and Services Tax and demonetisation, and about people losing faith in the banking system" Srinivasa Rao, the officer on special duty to the chief minister, had said earlier.

The party would pass a resolution against the Centre's "non-cooperation and non-fulfilment" of assurances made in the Rajya Sabha regarding the special category status and the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, he had said.

At the conclave, detailed discussions would be held on the Centre's "betrayal and conspiracy politics".

Andhra Pradesh has been seeking special category status on the grounds that it is at a disadvantage, especially because of the loss of capital Hyderabad to Telangana.

When erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was being bifurcated in 2014, then prime minister Manmohan Singh, during a discussion on the AP Reorganisation Bill, had said, "Special category status will be extended to the successor state of Andhra Pradesh for a period of five years”.

But the BJP, which came to power at the Centre a few months later, has been saying that the 14th Finance Commission does not provide for such treatment to Andhra Pradesh. The TDP had in March withdrawn support from the NDA government over the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to the state.

Naidu and his party have in the past accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reneging on his election promise made in 2014 to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Naidu had earlier said that after the state's bifurcation, it was given a "raw deal".