Is TDP Joining BJP-Led NDA Again? Chandrababu Naidu Responds To Speculations

Visakhapatnam: Amid a strong buzz about Telugu Desam Party (TDP) joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) once again, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the party president Chandrababu Naidu has said that he will talk about it at the ‘right time’. On being asked about his plan to join the NDA, Naidu said ‘it is not the right time’. “It`s not the time to talk about joining the NDA government. I will talk about this at the right time,” he said while talking to news agency ANI.

Naidu was speaking to ANI, after releasing the Vision-2047 document at a programme organised in this Port City on Tuesday evening. One of the founders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had left in protest against the Centre`s refusal to give special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu further said that his role is very clear for national politics in 2024.“My priority is Andhra Pradesh. It`s my big agenda. I will prepare for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the state,” the TDP chief said.

Responding to the Amaravati capital issue, Naidu said, “You (CM Jagan Mohan Reddy) are sitting in assembly. You are sitting in the secretariat. Where are you conducting the cabinet meeting? Is it temporary? What Jagan Mohan Reddy is talking rubbish. For the last ten years, they have been functioning. Everything got ready. We planned the world-class capital for Andhra Pradesh. I planned systematically one of the best ecosystems for Hyderabad for nine years.”

Notably, the unified state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in June 2014. As per the AP Reorganisation Act, Hyderabad became the capital of Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh had to find itself a new capital within ten years; until then, Hyderabad would serve as the capital for both states.

In January this year, Jagan Mohan announced that Visakhapatnam is going to be the capital with no mention of it in any state assembly discussion or on any official documents. Later, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government decided to make three capitals in different cities of the State in order to ensure development in all parts of the state.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, Chandrababu paid tribute to the statue of the former chief minister, the late NT Rama Rao, on Beach Road.