TDP asks Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Sujana Chowdary to quit

New Delhi/ Hyderabad: Ending all speculation, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has pulled the plug on the alliance between the TDP and the BJP which has already been stretched to the limits over the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status and deliver the commitments made in the AP State Reorganisation Act.

Naidu, speaking to reporters at the state secretariat at Velagapudi in Amaravati on late Wednesday night, said that the party has asked his two central ministers P Ashok Gajapati Raju (Civil Aviation) and Sujana Chowdary (Minister of State for Science and Technology) that they to quit immediately. “Even before taking the decision, I tried to reach Prime Minister Narendra Modi but I could not get him on line,” Naidu said, adding: “May be he was resting. But before recalling my ministers, I thought it would be proper on my part to convey my decision to him.”

As soon as Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley declared that there was no way special category status could be conferred on the state and also remaining non-committal on other promises, Chandrababu Naidu went into a huddle with ministers at the Secretariat.

After discussing the pros and cons of pulling out of the NDA with ministers N Lokesh, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Kaluva Srinivasulu and K Atchen Naidu, spoke to MPs at Delhi over teleconference who are understood to have persuaded Naidu to show the BJP its place. Then firming up his decision to bid goodbye to NDA, Naidu said he has asked his two central ministers to step out of the cabinet.

Naidu said he was cut up with the comments of Arun Jaitley that it was also his responsibility to take care of the security of the country. “We did not ask for division of the state. They did it. Now it is the responsibility of the Centre to help us which they are not doing,” he said.