Senior ministers like Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari to assure sops for Andhra Pradesh; CM Chandrababu Naidu to hold crucial TDP meeting today.
New Delhi: The BJP has roped in its top ministers to sort out differences with ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which is upset over poor allocation to Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget 2018.
TDP ministers will meet finance minister Arun Jaitley Monday after which a slew of sops are likely to be announced for the southern state, BJP sources told ThePrint.
Earlier this week, the Union minister for shipping and transport Nitin Gadkari had held wide ranging discussions with TDP MPs and ministers.
A senior BJP leader from Andhra Pradesh said that the TDP-BJP alliance will continue as usual.
“The TDP has to resort to some posturing. They need to make their voters see that they can fight for the betterment of the state,” the leader said.
“They need to be seen mounting pressure on the Centre for financial aid. I do not see TDP going out of alliance as of now,” he added.
Another senior Andhra BJP leader confirmed that some top ministers are directly in touch with them and discussions are on.
The BJP seems to be confident that the current hiccups won’t affect the ties with the TDP.
No state in-charge for Andhra
The central BJP has not appointed any in-charge who could coordinate between the state and the Union government.
“Party president Amit Shah has assured that the appointment will be made soon,” a senior leader said.
Two senior leaders from Andhra are: BJP MP K. Hari Babu, who happens to be the state president and Bandaru Dattatrreya, who is now representing Telangana.
Meanwhile, TDP president and Andhra chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is meeting his ministers and MPs Sunday to take a call on its ties with the BJP.
Y.S. Chowdary, TDP minister at the Centre, said that any decision taken on alliance will be announced by Naidu.
“We are disappointed with the Union Budget presented today (1 February),” Chowdary, TDP parliamentary party leader and Union minister of state for science and technology had said Thursday.
“Many pressing state issues like railway zone, funding for Polavaram project as well as capital Amaravati are not addressed in the budget,” he added.