TDP fumes over union budget, hints at leaving NDA

Hyderabad, Feb 2: Telugu Desam Party (TD P), on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over allocations for Andhra Pradesh in Union budget 2018 and hinted at taking a crucial decision soon.

While the Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is expected to discuss the impact of the budget on the state's precarious financial situation at the party coordination committee meeting and then at the cabinet meeting on Friday, the meeting of party MPs is slated for Sunday.

Talking to media in New Delhi party MP T G Venkatesh has said that the party has no option left than withdrawing support to NDA. "First we will be withdrawing our ministers from the union cabinet and protest inside the house. Breaking away from alliance will be done if none of these have any impact on the government," he said.

Meanwhile, Naidu is said have sought the opinion of the MPs through teleconference as pressure is mounting on him to deliver the promises made by the NDA to the state which include hand holding of AP till completion of Polavaram project, construction of capital Amaravati, special package in-lieu of special category and new railway zone with coastal city Vizag as its headquarters.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who had made personal representation to PM Modi and FM Jaitley last month, is disappointed. "The Congress has divided the state without giving any thought about survival of AP. So we were forced to seek refuge under NDA. We thought that they would help us," Naidu said to have commented at the emergency meeting with MP's on Thursday.

Budget has widened the gap the at a time when there was a talk about strained relations between the TDP and the BJP. Left parties and the YSRCP say that the budget allocations indicate the BJP's stand. " This is a union budget meant for all the states. There is no point in blaming the center about state level allocation, which will be available in finer print," said BJP leader and former union minister D Purandeswari.