Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has sought the support of non-BJP, non-Congress parties for the no-confidence motion his party seeks to move in Parliament against the NDA government over non-fulfilment of promise to grant special status to the state.
In a letter to the opposition parties, Naidu said, “I wish to bring to your notice the grave injustice caused to Andhra Pradesh due to inconsistencies in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and non-implementation of the assurances made by the then prime minister on the floor of the Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014.”
“The unscientific process adopted by the then UPA government without adequate and serious consultations with key stakeholders, the absence of consensus among political parties and lack of transparency while passing the APR Bill has put severe financial burden on the Andhra Pradesh government,” the letter read.
He alleged the progress in implementing the six assurances made in the APR Act is “poor”.
Six out of the eight infrastructure projects included in Schedule 13 of the Act “remain non-starters even after four years”, Naidu wrote in the letter.
“The then prime minister had specially assured to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh for five years to put the finances of the state on a firmer footing. This has not been implemented till today,” the letter read.
Naidu said it was unfortunate to note that the BJP-led NDA government did not even “respect its 2014 election manifesto relating to Seemandhra”.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaigns in Tirupati and Nellore towns of Andhra Pradesh, had assured to accord special category status to the state for 10 years, “but this assurance, too, has not been not implemented”.
The palpable reluctance and disinterest in the implementation of the assurances and promises by the BJP-led NDA government has led to severe hardships to the people of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu alleged.
He alleged that the no-confidence motion moved by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) against the Modi government in March was “not taken up deliberately”.
The no-confidence motions against the NDA government moved by the YSR Congress and the TDP separately during the Budget session of Parliament could not be taken up as vociferous protests in the House over various issues had led to repeated adjournments.
Naidu said in view of the continued “adamant attitude of the BJP-led NDA government, the TDP has decided to move no-confidence motion against the Modi government again in the ensuing Monsoon Session of Parliament”.
“I shall be thankful for your support in further carrying forward with the motion of no-confidence moved by our MPs. I sincerely seek your cooperation in this regard,” he wrote.
A delegation of TDP MPs has been meeting opposition party leaders to garner support for the no-confidence motion they seek to move against the Modi government.
Today, the TDP MPs met the leaders of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti to seek their support for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
The state has been seeking special status on the grounds that it is at a disadvantage, especially because of the loss of capital Hyderabad to newly formed Telangana.
When Andhra Pradesh was being bifurcated in 2014, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 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 a few months later, said the 14th Finance Commission doesn’t provide for such treatment to Andhra Pradesh.
In March, the TDP pulled out of the NDA government over the Centre’s refusal to grant special status to the state.
The party has now turned into a vocal critic of the NDA and the track-record of last four years of the government.
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