Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was ready to support a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government while the party’s politburo is today expected to take a decision on pulling out of the alliance.
The TDP president told the state legislative assembly that the party is ready to back the no-trust motion. The TDP had last week pulled out its two ministers from the central government over the demand for special category status to the state.
If TDP quits the NDA, it would be the first party to leave the coalition since it came to power at the Centre in 2014.
YSR Congress Party, the principal opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, yesterday submitted a notice to move the no-confidence motion against the NDA government in Lok Sabha. The party alleged that the central government has gone back on the commitment made in the Parliament that Andhra Pradesh will be accorded the special category status.
Without naming YSR Congress, Naidu said in the state assembly that TDP would back the no-confidence motion moved by any party to pressurise the central government. He made it clear that the TDP will not compromise against the state’s interests. “We are ready to go to any extent to fight for the state’s interests,” he said.
Interacting with TDP MPs and later addressing a public meeting, Naidu slammed actor politician Pawan Kalyan for his bitter attack on the TDP. The Jana Sena chief at a public meeting on Wednesday alleged that TDP betrayed the people. He also made allegations of corruption against the TDP government.
Launching a counter attack, Naidu said instead of joining him in pulling up Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not fulfilling commitments made to the state, some new parties were trying to weaken the TDP for their narrow political interests. He said he would expose in a day or two those who compromised the state’s interests.

BJP is sinking fast, says Naveen Patnaik
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is sinking fast in the country. “The BJP is sinking quite fast,” Patnaik told reporters in Bhubaneswar, citing the defeat of the BJP in the by-poll to two parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo also did not rule out of aligning with anti-BJP coalition in future. “We haven’t thought of any alliance for the time being,” he said. While the BJP put up an impressive show in the panchayat polls held last year, the ruling BJD put the BJP on mat in the recently held by-poll for the Bijepur assembly constituency.