Maverick Telugu Desam Party MP from Anantapur J C Diwakar Reddy has become a big headache for party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been desperately trying to maintain the relationship with the Centre and retain the alliance with the BJP.
Known for his acerbic tongue, JC has alleged that the Narendra Modi government had been showing little concern towards Andhra Pradesh, just because the BJP had full majority in Lok Sabha and did not need the support of the TDP.
“That is precisely why it has turned a blind eye towards implementation of promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, including special category status to Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
“The BJP cares a damn for the TDP, which is at the mercy of the centre to run the administration in Andhra Pradesh under difficult circumstances.
The Centre is not willing to concede any of the TDP demands, including Special Category Status, railway zone, and steel plant to Andhra Pradesh etc. Yet, Chandrababu Naidu is doing his best for obtaining funds from the Centre to some extent,” he said.
Such comments naturally would not go down well with the BJP leadership, who is looking for an excuse to part ways with the TDP. The local BJP leaders lose no time in retaliating against Naidu for trying to defame the Centre.
“The BJP has the capacity to fight the elections on its own in the state. There is no need for any alliance with the TDP.
We are going to strengthen the party from booth-level to the state-level and expand our network all through the state. We will show what we are capable of,” BJP MLC and senior leader Somu Veerraju said on Thursday.
