Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP walks out from NDA alliance

# BJP has 275 MPs – 2 less after bye-elections at Gorakhpur and Phulpur, only six above the halfway mark of 269 in the 536-member House. Though the no-confidence motion moved separately by TDP and the YSR Congress will not in any way upset the NDA government as it enjoys comfortable majority, its significance in terms of perception and political optics can not be simply dismissed. Political parties in all five southern states of Telangana, Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are likely to vote against the BJP.

The no-confidence notices were moved by TDP’s Thota Narasimham and YSR Congress member Y V Subba Reddy.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted, “CPI (M) supports the no-confidence motion being brought against the BJP government”.

The issue of Special Category Status has remained a longstanding demand for both the people and government of Andhra Pradesh since the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

The MPs who have been regularly staging protests in the Parliament over the issue of granting “Special Category Status” to Andhra Pradesh, shouted aloud, “We want justice, NDA talaq, talaq, talaq”. He asked his partymen to be one in facing the BJP challenge.

Earlier, ending his party’s four-year alliance with the BJP over denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu announced in Amaravati that he had made a decision to leave the NDA. Both the Central and state BJP failed to sell its version of the “special” narrative making the entire Andhra political spectra to turn hostile to saffron party.

Naidu had held a tele-conference with TDP lawmakers on Thursday during which he was understood to have said that there was a “strong anti-BJP” mood in the country as reflected in the results of three bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states on Wednesday. “This was the Centre’s last budget and there was no mention of Andhra Pradesh, we had to pull our ministers out of cabinet”.

“Even if guided by political compulsion, TDP had to yet again follow YSRCP’s lead of moving no confidence motion against the Central Govt for not granting SCS to AP”. They may come up before the Speaker on Monday.

I took the decision, not for selfish reasons but for interests of AP. TDP has a credibility at the national level, so many parties are coming forward to support us.

The AIADMK with 37 members appeared not keen on backing the motion. “Whatever decision has to be taken, will be done by Uddhav (ji)”, said senior party leader and Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete who was in Mumbai on Friday.

Two more allies, the Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), have expressed their reservations.

The Modi Government is unlikely to be affected, but the incident came a day after it lost two key electoral seats in India’s biggest states.