Rethink alliance, don't take 'tough calls', Amit Shah dials Chandrababu
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu held a crucial meeting with the party MPs, senior MLAs and leaders in Amaravati on Sunday.
According to a report in NDTV, party sources said that BJP chief Amit Shah dialed chief minister Chandrababu Naidu asking him to rethink the alliance. Shah asked Naidu to not take "tough decisions".
The meeting comes on the back of the TDP expressing its unhappiness over the Budget allocations to Andhra Pradesh and was reportedly called to review the party's ties with its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
TDP leader K Rammohan Rao said that the party would discuss about the budget in the meeting.
"Political alliance is different and state government development is different",he said.
"Whatever the Chief Minister decides we will stand by it, but we are not happy with the BJP budget, not happy with the budget allotted to Andhra Pradesh. We MPs are ready to resign, but we are bound by the Chief Minister's decision," Pandula Ravindra Babu, TDP MP Amalapuram told ANI.
The chief minister who is highly disappointed with the Government at the Centre, had stated that no funds were allotted for various projects in the state and also for the construction of AP’s capital city Amaravati.
He said that various issues including the Polavaram project and the Duggirajupatnam port in Nellore district were ignored in the Budget.
Also Read: Injustice to Andhra in Budget 2018, will declare war: Chandrababu-led TDP
Earlier on Saturday, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said that the party and the Centre would soon be extending the olive branch to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to resolve his concerns in a mutually beneficial to both parties.
"There seems to be some kind of unhappiness, we will talk it out. TDP is an old ally of the BJP. We will talk it out with them and will tell them we are committed to the interests of Andhra Pradesh," he said.
Madhav further said, "We at the BJP are committed not only to address the TDP's concerns with regard to the Budget proposals, but also, all other issues of concern that it may have. We will convince Naidu and the TDP not to think of severing their ties with the BJP or the NDA. They are a valuable ally."
Chandrababu Naidu had last week hinted at breaking alliance with the BJP.
Also Read: Will go our own way if alliance not needed: Chandrababu Naidu warns BJP
Addressing a press conference in Amaravati at state secretariat, Naidu said, "If the BJP does not want to continue alliance then the TDP will on its own."
TDP-BJP alliance has soured over the past few years and has taken a turbulent turn with the Union Budget.
(With agency inputs)
