TDP has 'shamelessly' gone back into NDA: Congress

'In the six years since, the Prime Minister has continued to fail the people of Andhra Pradesh. The TDP has now shamelessly gone back into the NDA. They have a lot to answer for today,' said Jairam Ramesh said.

New Delhi: As the BJP and the TDP sealed a tie-up, the Congress took a swipe at the N Chandrababu Naidu-led party, saying it has 'shamelessly' gone back to the NDA despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuing to 'fail' the people of Andhra Pradesh by not granting it special category status.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted his is the only national party that has consistently promised to give Andhra Pradesh special category status for five years.

'In 2018, the then-chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu-garu, broke off his alliance with the BJP because of the Prime Minister's failure to give Andhra Pradesh its due through special category status for the state. The then-BJP president Amit Shah declared that the doors of the NDA were forever closed to the TDP,' Ramesh said.

'In the six years since, the Prime Minister has continued to fail the people of Andhra Pradesh. The TDP has now shamelessly gone back into the NDA. They have a lot to answer for today,' Ramesh said.

The BJP sealed its alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Saturday for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, with former chief minister Naidu asserting the combine will sweep the polls.

The alliance was formalised after the two parties and actor Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP) held another round of talks involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief J P Nadda, besides Naidu and Kalyan.

A joint statement issued by the three parties said that under PM Modi's 'dynamic and visionary' leadership, they have decided to contest the Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls together as they are committed to ensuring the country's progress and an uplift of the state and its people.