Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reportedly called up Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday, in the backdrop of both parties being irked with the BJP at the Centre.
Reports suggested that Naidu complained about the BJP ignoring its allies, and informed Thackeray that the mood in TDP was to end the alliance, and contest alone in the 2019 elections.
However, others downplayed the political ramifications of the move.
“It is nothing new; leaders keep talking to each other. The call lasted 10 minutes and they discussed the political scenario in India ,” a senior Sena leader told HT.
Angry over the injustice meted out to Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget 2018-19, the state's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is planning to mount pressure on BJP.
A state cabinet meeting in Amaravati on Friday witnessed heated scenes as several top TDP leaders demanded that their alliance with the BJP must be snapped.
The TDP is a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the centre while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the junior ally in TDP-led government in the state.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told his cabinet colleagues that the party will take a political decision on the issue.
Naidu, who is also the TDP president, said there will be a fight on the injustice done to the state. However, he advised his ministers to exercise restraint and not to speak whatever they like, as it would do more damage to the already strained relationship between the two parties.
Responding to the reports, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said that his party would talk to the TDP, which was an ‘old ally’.
“There seems to be some kind of unhappiness, we will talk it out. TDP is an old ally of the BJP. We are committed to the interests of Andhra Pradesh…We at the BJP are committed not only to address the TDP’s concerns with regard to the Budget proposals, but also, all other issues of concern that it may have. We will convince Mr. Naidu and the TDP not to think of severing their ties with the BJP or the NDA. They are a valuable ally,” Ram Madhav was quoted as saying
IANS inputs