TD, BJP EXCHANGE WAR OF WORDS

The TD accused the BJP of being a north India based party ignoring southern states. BJP accused corruption in Naidu’s irrigation project Pattiseema and Polavaram. Shah skips mentioning special status

Both Telugu Desam (TD) and the BJP have been caught off guard ever since they parted ways. Once friends, are now foes and both the parties are now pitted against each other.

Both the varying groups had unleashed a bitter battle by mud-slinging on each other. After four years, BJP leaders had gone a step further and accused the TD government of being neck deep in corruption. Most importantly, the BJP had accused of corruption in Naidu’s pet irrigation project Pattiseema and also in Polavaram.

The TD, instead of clearing the air on the corruption charges, and coming out clean had demanded the resignation of BJP MLC Somu Veerraju who was elected with the help of the TD MLAs. The TD also accused the BJP of being a North India based party, it has been ignoring the southern states which will eventually lead to north and south India division.

While TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu wrote a four-page letter to BJP national president Amit Shah on March 18, detailing the reasons to leave the NDA, the latter on Saturday dashed out a nine-page letter attributing political motives of the former in breaking the alliance.

Naidu in his letter said that the progress was tardy, unsatisfactory and disappointing in crucial provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, and the assurances given in the Rajya Sabha. Shah said TD’s decision to quit the NDA ‘family’ was guided wholly solely by political considerations, instead of developmental concerns.

While Naidu recalled that Narendra Modi, the then Prime Ministerial candidate, in his public meetings in Andhra Pradesh, had emphatically assured the people that he would give Special Category Status as well as help the state to build a capital city much better than Delhi, Shah in his letter avoided a direct reply on Special Category Status promise.

“On the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh, it is regrettable that some political parties are whipping up public sentiments rather than encouraging an informed debate which is the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy. I would like you to introspect whether political parties should be pitting sentiments and development against each other to further their political agenda,” Shah said.

Naidu said that they were told that the 14th Finance Commission had recommended against granting of SCS to any state. “Although this was a contestable interpretation of the Finance Commission’s report, we went along with it because we were promised that all facilities and incentives that are enjoyed by the SCS states will be extended to us in the form of special assistance, except the nomenclature. Sadly, that was not to be,” Naidu said in the letter.

For this, Amit Shah said, “Due to the weak financial position of AP, the 14th Finance Commission has awarded to the state revenue deficit grants to the tune of `22,113 crore, covering the overall revenue deficit for five years. AP is the only state to receive the award of revenue deficit grants for all the five years period i.e from 2015 to 2020 besides the eight north-eastern and hilly states. Does that not show that the Central Government has been sensitive to the needs of AP.?”

WE DIDN’T HAVE any choice, as a last resort, as a mark of protest we walked out the NDA. AP’S GENUINE DEMAND to implement the bifurcation assurances is side lined and at the same time, the four year old state’s industrial growth is being obstructed from time to time by the NDA government. As responsible public representatives, you should highlight the injustice done to AP state, in every sector. N. CHANDRABABU NAIDU, TD supremo, AP Chief Minister

THIS DECISION (to quit NDA) is both unfortunate as well as unilateral. It is a decision; I am afraid, will be construed as being guided wholly and solely by political considerations instead of developmental concerns. THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT has not only fulfilled its statutory obligations under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 but has gone far beyond to ensure that the state becomes financially strong. AMIT SHAH, BJP president