TDP to raise issue of ‘injustice’ in Parliament

Upset over “injustice” to Andhra Pradesh in Union Budget 2018-19, the TDP, a key ally of the BJP, on Sunday decided to raise the issue in Parliament.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu asked his party MPs to pressurise the BJP-led NDA government to undo the injustice.

At the TDP Parliamentary Board meeting here, Naidu said the party would begin its fight by raising the issue in Parliament, sources revealed. He made it clear that this was only the first step.

The TDP chief said the party’s next course of action would depend on the response of the Modi government.

The Board discussed in detail the Union Budget and the Centre’s failure to address the pending issues of the state.

Some TDP leaders suggested that both the central ministers of the TDP should quit to put pressure on the BJP. Naidu, however, said the party should first raise the issue in Parliament.

TDP leader and Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y. Sujana Chowdhary told reporters that for the TDP the state’s interests were more important than the alliance with the BJP.

He said the MPs would try to put pressure on the Centre to honour all commitments made to the state at the time of its bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

The TDP leader said the Centre should immediately address the key issues including the release of funds under the special assistance measure announced last year, funds for the Polavaram project, assistance to build new state capital Amaravati and setting up of a railway zone in Visakhapatnam.

Naidu had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a list of demands ahead of Parliament’s budget session.

The TDP chief has been demanding that New Delhi help it out till the state overcame its revenue deficit and developed at par with the other neighbouring states.