Miffed over Centre’s refusal to grant special category to Andhra Pradesh, the TDP on Friday pulled out of the BJP-led NDA but could not move a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha due to protests and sloganeering.
Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) snapped all ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu took the decisions during a teleconference with politburo members.
“We’ve quit NDA. I took the decision, not for selfish reasons but for interests of AP. For 4-years I made all efforts, went to Delhi 29 times, asked many times,” Naidu said.
“This was centre’s last budget and there was no mention of AP and we had to pull our ministers out of cabinet,” he added.
During the teleconference, Naidu lashed out at the BJP and accused it of using YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and Jana Sena party President Pawan Kalyan to weaken the TDP.
He said both Jagan and Pawan had secret understanding with the BJP. He said while Jagan entered into the secret deal to save himself in several corruption cases, Pawan was targeting TDP instead of pulling up BJP and Narendra Modi for not fulfilling the commitments made to Andhra Pradesh.
Immediately after the decision, Thota Narasimham of the TDP and YV Subba Reddy of YSR Congress submitted notices of no-confidence motion to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The motion was supported by the Congress, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, AIMIM, BJD and TRS. However, it could not be taken up and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she was duty bound to take up the no-confidence motion. But she could not do it in the din and requested the members to go back to their seats.
As the commotion continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
Once a no-confidence motion is moved in the Lok Sabha, support of at least 50 members is needed to admit the motion, which is then followed by voting.
(With inputs from agencies)