Two TDP leaders resign from Modi cabinet over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi, March 8: After the rift surged between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, the two Union Ministers on Thursday submitted their resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

Notably, the two Union Ministers including Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y.S. Chowdary belonging to the Telugu Desam Party resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi cabinet over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh.

 

After submitting the resignation, YS Choudhary said, “I don't think it's fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It's for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed.” “We will continue to be a part of the NDA but not take up any ministerial positions and I don't think there is anything wrong in that,” he added.

The resignation of TDP leaders from PM Modi’s cabinet came hours after BJP Ministers Kamineni Srinivas and Pydikondala Manikyala Rao tendered their resignations at the Chief Minister Office. Interestingly, the TDP has decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre on the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh.

On Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu made the announcement of quitting NDA government at an emergency press conference in Amravati saying that the decision was painful but was taken keeping the state’s interest in mind.

Importantly, TDP’s announcement came hours after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Centre was willing to provide the “monetary equivalent” of a special-category state to Andhra Pradesh, but would not be able to grant it “special status” which was restricted only to the north-eastern and three hill states by the 14th Finance Commission.

 

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has been agitating in both the houses of Parliament over the issue of financial aid to the state, which was promised at the time of its bifurcation in 2014. However, the BJP has rejected TDP’s charge that the Modi government neglected the state, saying the Centre not only fulfilled all its obligations but also had gone out of its way to help the state.