TDP woken up to AP needs: Jagan

Amaravati:  YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had "woken up" to the needs of Andhra Pradesh by moving a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government over Special Category Status (SCS) to the state. His remark came after the TDP quit the NDA this morning following the Centre's refusal to accord SCS to the state. 

The no-confidence motion was moved by TDP leader Thota Narasimham in the Lok Sabha. Terming the TDP's decision a "win for democracy," Jagan asserted his party would continue to fight for SCS for AP. "After four years of relentless struggle and fight by the YSRCP with people's support for SCS; finally the nation, including @ncbn's TDP wakes up!" Jagan said in a tweet. 

He said that even if guided by political compulsion, the TDP had to yet again follow the YSRCP's lead of moving a no-confidence motion against the Centre for not granting SCS to the state. "Win for democracy & people of AP. YSRCP will continue to fight for the SCS, the rights of the people of AP," Jagan, who is also the Leader of Opposition in AP, said in another tweet. 

The YSRC on Thursday issued a notice to the Lok Sabha Secretary-General for moving a no-confidence motion against the NDA government. It said that this was for failing to implement the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, and also the promises made in Rajya Sabha by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh, including grant of Special Category Status.

Initially, the main Opposition party in Andhra Pradesh wanted to move the no-confidence motion on March 21, but with indications that the Lok Sabha may be adjourned sine die ahead of schedule, it decided to move the motion on Friday. The TDP, which last evening announced support for the no-confidence motion, on Friday  decided to move a motion on its own. 

"Supporting a no-confidence motion moved by a thieves' party (YSRCP) will send wrong signals to the people. Hence, we should move a motion on our own," TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told his party leaders via a tele-conference. "YSRCP's notice (for a no-trust motion) will have only five signatures whereas we have 16. It will be easy for us to muster support of 51 MPs (required for the motion to be taken up)," Chandrababu said. 

He alleged that the BJP was enacting a "drama" through Jagan and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. "You move a no-confidence motion and make your MPs resign. We will grant SCS and make believe it happened only because of you. That's the BJP drama through Jagan," the Chief Minister alleged. 

The TDP chief said the BJP was enacting "another drama" through Pawan Kalyan by asking him to launch a fast-unto-death. "People are watching all this and they will teach a fitting lesson," Naidu said.