Pressure is mounting on Telugu Desam Party president and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to come out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the wake of the Centre rejecting outright the demand for granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.
It is not just the Congress party, YSR Congress party and senior leaders like Vundavalli Arun Kumar, who have demanded that the TDP should come out of the Narendra Modi government in protest against the Centre’s stand against special status. There is a pressure even from within the TDP on Naidu to rethink on the alliance.
However, Naidu is said to be not very keen on deserting the NDA at this stage for more than one reason.
First, it amounts to direct confrontation with the Modi government, which might not liberally release funds for various schemes, besides for the newly-proposed AP capital.
Secondly, it will be politically disastrous for the TDP in the long run as it would give scope for the BJP to grow stronger by next elections. Thirdly, it might bring YSR Congress party closer to the BJP in the coming days.
So, Naidu will continue to hoodwink the people saying he would fight for the special status as long as he could and convince the Centre one day. Till such time, he would ask the people to bear with him.
