Chandrababu Naidu’s Budget bashing to affect NDA-TDP alliance

BENGALURU: Andhra Pradesh chief minister and NDA ally N Chandrababu Naidu struck a discordant note after the presentation of the Union Budget on Saturday, blasting the Union government over what he termed as a "budget which has let down the people of Andhra Pradesh".

Naidu was protesting against the non-operationalisation of the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation agreement which entailed a grant of some major funds to the state, following the bifurcation of the state into Telangana and the residual state of Andhra Pradesh.

The CM's public airing of his grievances doesn’t augur well for the BJP-TDP alliance in the state, especially after parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu had said that the Centre had allocated enough funds in the budget which "has to be seen in consonance with the disbursal of funds under the 14th finance commission".

Political events too are driving a wedge between the two allies, not least the growing proximity between Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrashekhara Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some even saying that KCR’s daughter, Nizamabad MP K Kavitha, could find a place in the Union Cabinet in April when it's due for an expansion.

More than anything, however, it is the BJP’s own expansionist plans that are the heart of the problem. Naidu wants to play big brother in the state, but the BJP, having already managed to bag three former MPs and 10 former MLAs from the Congress, is eyeing the restless flock from YSR Congress in order to expand in the state.