After Chandrababu Naidu calls urgent TDP meet, sources say announcement expected by Centre

Amravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today called an urgent meeting with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members to discuss the future of the state government’s alliance with the BJP.

After the meeting, sources in the party said that the TDP is expecting an announcement by the Centre in the ongoing session of Parliament and the two sides are expected to soften their stands.

Earlier today, speaking on the now-strained TDP-NDA ties while on his way to meet the CM, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy had said, “In coming days we will take appropriate decision at appropriate time.”

This comes a day after the TDP quit the Modi government, with its ministers P Ashok Gajapathi Raju (Civil Aviation) and YS Chowdary (Science and Technology) submitting their resignations.

In a related development, the BJP also pulled out its two ministers from the Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

“The party took a decision that we should resign. We have resigned now. It was a matter of courtesy that we met the Prime Minister and presented our resignation,” Raju and Chowdhry told the media after meeting Modi at his residence.

Their resignation came shortly after Modi spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu over telephone and reportedly urged him to reconsider pulling out of the NDA government.

The TDP ministers added that the party was still part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance and they were hopeful that the promises made to Andhra Pradesh at the time of its bifurcation like grant of special category status to the residual state and other financial demands would be met.

(With inputs IANS)