Breaking: TDP on the verge to break away alliance,Third Front on the Cards?

After months of uncertainty, the Telugu Desam Party is on the verge of pulling out of the NDA, with two of the party’s ministers in the Union Cabinet set to submit their resignation letters on Thursday.

According to sources, aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and minister of state for science and technology and earth sciences YS Chowdhary will be the ones to quit.

The decision is understood to have been taken at a meeting called by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu late in the evening, hours after finance minister Arun Jaitley said that the Centre can’t offer special status, but would offer a special package with equivalent funding.

That seems to have not been enough for Naidu, who had earlier in the day hinted that TDP could sever the ties with the BJP as the Centre has failed to fulfil its assurances on special status to Andhra Pradesh after its bifurcation.

“For four years, I did not raise any demand, hoping that being an ally, the BJP will honour the promises made in its manifesto as well and implement the Reorganisation Act in letter and spirit,” said Naidu on Wednesday, reminding that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has promised to offer special status to the state if his party comes to power.

“I have followed the federal spirit and worked on mutual co-operation principle with the Centre. People of the state now feel insulted and if I don’t raise my voice now, they will not pardon me,” he said.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said he had only gone into an alliance with the BJP for the sake of doing justice to AP. He had earlier said that he had made 29 trips to Delhi and met the Prime Minister and other central ministers but they did not pay heed. “Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in an unscientific manner and is facing lot of hurdles,” he said.

The protests had intensified after the Union Budget 2018 did not have any special funds for the state. Since then, the ties between the two allies have been strained and the party’s MPs have been protesting outside the Parliament every day during the Budget Session.

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi too had joined the protest and tried to woo the TDP by offering to fulfil the demands if it came to power, hinting at changing political equations in the state.

Source