Centre will explain our stand on Andhra Pradesh special status, says BJP after meeting with TDP
BJP President Amit Shah and General Secretary Ram Madhav met representatives from the Telugu Desam Party after the regional party quit the alliance on Friday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government will explain its stand on the special status demand for Andhra Pradesh, party general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday. Madhav made the statement was after he and BJP President Amit Shah met Telugu Desam Party leaders following the Andhra Pradesh-based party’s withdrawal from the National Democratic Alliance on Friday.
The Telugu Desam Party had said its decision to quit the alliance was influenced by the Centre’s rejection of its demand to give Andhra Pradesh a special category status.
Madhav refused to comment on whether the Telugu Desam Party had agreed to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance and suggested that the reporters ask the regional party instead. “We will explain to the people of Andhra Pradesh the things we have done for them in last four years and things we will do. We are ready to do more than the special status,” Madhav said.
Meeting of #AndhraPradesh leaders with BJP President Amit Shah underway at the latter's residence in Delhi, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav also present. pic.twitter.com/mzF5UB89uo
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2018
We will explain to the people of Andhra Pradesh the things we have done for them in last 4 years and things we will do. We are ready to do more than the special status: Ram Madhav, BJP National General Secretary after meeting of Andhra Leaders with BJP President Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/WtLrdDwWJG
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2018
On Friday, the party moved a no-confidence motion against the central government in the Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reiterated his statement that the government was committed to giving Andhra Pradesh a special package equivalent to a special category status. The Centre has been waiting endlessly for the Chandrababu Naidu administration to respond to their proposed scheme, Jaitley said.
BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao had described the Telugu Desam Party’s decision to quit the alliance as inevitable after its “mischievous propaganda against the Centre”. Their exit is an opportunity for the BJP to grow in Andhra Pradesh, Rao said.
The Telugu Desam Party has been demanding greater financial assistance for Andhra Pradesh since its bifurcation in 2014. Jaitley on Friday said the Centre has been fully committed to providing the funds to the state and there has been no delay on its part.
On March 7, the TDP had pulled out its MPs Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary from the Union Cabinet. Chowdary was the minister of state for science and technology and earth sciences, while Raju was in charge of the civil aviation ministry.