TDP seeking grant for backward areas; funds a must for Amravati, Polavaram project: Andhra minister Nara Lokesh

New Delhi: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is seeking budgetary grant for backward districts, financial support for building Amravati into a capital city and timely release of funds for Polavaram irrigation project, its general secretary and Andhra Pradesh's HRD and IT minister Nara Lokesh told ET in an exclusive interview days before the presentation of the Union budget.

Lokesh outlined the three major expectations of the TDP, the second-largest constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in the Lok Sabha, even as the party chief and his father, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, was in Delhi on a two-day visit, his second in 10 days, to push for these demands.

"In the past there were certain promises that were part of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. A major promise was budgetary grants per year for the backward districts. Also, there are national projects like the Polavaram project that need to be supported," Lokesh said.


‘Asks not Out of Turn’
“We are asking that funds be released so that we can move fast in terms of development. We are definitely not asking anything out of turn. We are just asking to release what’s been promised to us,” he said.

The Andhra Pradesh government is pushing for backward districts grants for Anantapur, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.

Lokesh emphasised on the state’s need for the Centre’s handholding for a few years. “The bifurcation (in 2014, which led to the carving out of Telangana) was against the interests of the people of Andhra Pradesh. So, we lost Hyderabad, which was the economic powerhouse for the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. There are definitely certain challenges that the government has in fulfilling those commitments in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act,” he said.

He further said: “While as a state we understand that all we have said is that we have been left high and dry. We are a new state. We have to build our capital. Also, over the last five years, there has been a tremendous amount of destruction… the entire economic engine has sort of stalled. So, help us out, handhold us for about three to five years so that we can kick-start the entire engine of econAomic growth and subsequent to that we will contribute.”

Special status
Significantly, however, the TDP has said that it is no longer pressing for special status for Andhra Pradesh. “In the 2024 election, that (special category status) was not even our promise. So, we told the people that you have seen a double-engine government. There is going to be a three-engine government — of TDP, Jana Sena and BJP,” said Lokesh.

The TDP is expecting the announcement of a petrochemical hub and an oil refinery in the state — in line with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act — in the upcoming budget. While pushing for these demands, however, the party, whose 16 MPs are crucial to the government at the Centre, reaffirmed its support to the BJP-led coalition.

“It’s been unconditional support to the NDA and we will continue to support unconditionally whilst we might ask for certain favourable dispensations on different projects or ability to fast-track certain projects like Polavaram,” Lokesh told ET. “We would like funds to be released faster so we can finish the project. So, we have a clear agenda and that’s what we are working on with, you know, our partners in NDA… So, our condition is that we have no conditions.”