Naidu approaches parties for TDP' no-trust motion

Indicating that it would not be a smooth Monsoon Session, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minsiter N Chandrababu Naidu has reached out to non-Congress, non-BJP parties seeking support for no-confidence motion against NDA government in Parliament for not honouring the promise of according special status to the state.

Naidu despatched his senior leaders and MPs to meet leaders of these parties with a letter from him seeking support in their fight inside Parliament when the session starts on Wednesday. Like during the Budget session which saw almost washout, TDP will move no-trust motion though they apprehend that their notices may not be taken up like what happened during the previous sittings.

Interestingly, the first meeting was with NDA ally Shiv Sena's chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Sunday followed by one with NCP leaders. Sena, which has a minister in Narendra Modi government, is not happy with the BJP and had announced that it will contest the Lok Sabha elections alone.

In his letter, Naidu has blamed both the NDA government and the previous UPA government for the situation. While the UPA government is blamed for the "unscientific approach" in the division of Andhra Pradesh, the NDA is accused of not implementing the assurance given in Parliament about accordance of special category status.

"It is unfortunate that the BJP-led NDA government has not even respected its own election manifesto, 2014 relating to Seemandhra," Naidu wrote to leaders.

Claiming that there is "palpable reluctance and disinterest" in implementation of the assurances by the NDA government, he said, "with the support of political parties, MPs of TDP had moved no confidence motion against Modi government in the previous (Budget) session of Parliament but it was not taken up deliberately."

He said due to the "continued adamant attitude" of the government, the party has decided to move no-trust motion in the session and sought other parties support.

The TDP had pulled out of the NDA during the Budget Session after the government made it clear that it cannot accord special category status for Andhra Pradesh due to new criteria adopted by the Finance Commission.

As the war of words erupted over this issue, BJP chief Amit Shah has accused the Andhra Pradesh government of committing "serious lapses" in utilising funds earmarked for the state and said the TDP decision to pull out of the NDA will be seen as guided "wholly and solely" by partisan politics.