No trust in Modi govt: TDP

Amaravati/Delhi: On a day of fast-paced political developments, Telugu Desam Party broke out of the NDA after being part of it for four years and moved a notice of no-confidence motion against the Central government in Lok Sabha even as the YSRC had given a similar notice on Thursday.

But neither of the notices was taken up with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourning the House to Monday, contending that the House was not in order to facilitate any discussion on the no-trust motion. At the end of the day, contours of a possible anti-NDA front with Chandrababu Naidu in the lead appeared as Opposition leaders one after the other began pledging their support to the no-confidence motion moved by TDP.

Naidu ended up with support from 175 MPs from 11 parties, including, Congress and TMC. The TRS is also likely to support the TDP’s motion. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is yet to take a call on it.

Chandrababu Naidu dropped enough hints of possible exit from the NDA on Thursday itself while speaking about how the TDP had been treated by the Centre and by announcing his intention of either moving a no confidence or supporting one, if any one does.

On Friday morning, no sooner Naidu took the decision for total breakup with the BJP than his MPs in Delhi gave notice for no-confidence motion, calling YSR’s notice as one intended to make a show that it was fighting for SCS and yet not hurt or embarrass the BJP. The no-confidence notices were moved by TDP leader in Lok Sabha Thota Narasimham and YSR Congress Member Y V Subba Reddy. Union ministers -- P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Y S Chowdary -- had quit the central cabinet on March 8 following a decision of Naidu for TDP’s pull out from the NDA government.

The TDP’s decision to end for good the alliance with the BJP was taken at the party’s politburo meeting held in Amaravati earlier in the day though the meeting was scheduled for evening. The meeting was advanced after Naidu decided to move a notice for no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha and felt that it would be inappropriate to do so if he was still part of NDA.

"We moved the notice for no-trust motion only after exiting from the NDA. We did not want to be party to YSRC’s notice since it lacked credibility as it leader V Vijayasai Reddy is always seen going around Prime Minister’s Office,” Thota Narsimham said. The TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha while the YSR Congress, nine.

Meanwhile, Congress and Left leaders said they would support the motion against the government. "When Andhra parties move a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, we will support it," Mohammad Salim of the CPI(M) said. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that the party would also support the motion but asked the two regional parties to not play politics over the issue.
"When Andhra parties move a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, we will support it," Mohammad Salim of the CPI(M) said.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that the party would also support the motion but asked the two regional parties to not play politics over the issue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed TDP's decision to quit the NDA. "I welcome the TDP's decision to leave the NDA. The current situation warrants such action to save the country from disaster," the TMC supremo said in a tweet.

In Amaravati, embers continued to smoulder with Chandrababu Naidu narrating how shabbily the BJP had treated the TDP and how he remained quiet, since he was part of NDA. “What message are you sending by entertaining those who are A1 and A2 in cases being investigated by the CBI,” Naidu asked, cornering Modi in the Legislative Council.

Later in an informal interaction with the media-persons, he said the support that he could get from Opposition parties to his appeal for backing the no- confidence motion was indicative of his credibility.

“He (Jagan Mohan Reddy) had been saying that he would move a no-trust motion. No one paid any attention. Till this morning, I did not say a word. Once I am out of NDA and moved a notice, a number of Opposition parties are coming forward to support the motion,” he said.