Why NDA’s second largest ally not making big demands in Union Budget

“We person been getting projects arsenic we person actively been liaising with the Centre implicit the past year. Since assuming power, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and our enactment main N Chandrababu Naidu has tasked each of the 16 MPs, including 2 Union ministers, with pursuing up connected investments which the authorities is funny in,” a root successful the TDP said and added that the determination has shown “tangible” results.

For instance, implicit the past 2 months, Andhra has sealed 4 large concern projects worthy Rs 71,400 crore. These see deals worthy Rs 65,000 crore and Rs 2,000 crore with Reliance Industries Ltd and Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd, respectively.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to person accorded precocious precedence to the state. Earlier this month, helium inaugurated projects worthy Rs 2 lakh crore successful Visakhapatnam and subsequently held a roadshow successful the metropolis with Naidu and Andhra Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan by his side.

While the optics of the investments trickling successful look to favour the TDP, the Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has been slamming the Naidu authorities for failing to get Special Category Status (SCS) for the state. SCS was promised to Andhra earlier Telangana was carved retired of it successful 2014 and inactive continues to resonate successful its governmental discourse.

TDP sources, however, assertion that Andhra does not request SCS arsenic the authorities authorities was capable to get “over and beyond what it coil person with SCS”. “We are not insisting connected SCS arsenic different cardinal ally, the JD(U) would privation the aforesaid for Bihar, fixed its ‘backwardness’. This volition enactment the BJP successful a spot and neither of the allies privation that astatine this stage,” a governmental expert adjacent to the TDP said.

The TDP’s “minimal demands” besides stem from the disapproval that the NDA faced past twelvemonth from Opposition quarters for announcing a “biased” Budget, which had peculiar packages for Bihar and Andhra, including Rs 15,000 crore for processing Amaravati arsenic the capital.

“We bash not privation to bring the confederation nether scrutiny but we volition proceed to fulfil promises made successful the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act,” a TDP root said.

Claiming that the promises successful the Act person sentimental values of radical attached to it, the root pointed retired that the TDP whitethorn look backlash if they stay unfulfilled. “The sentiment stems from the information that Andhra was wronged arsenic the cash-rich Hyderabad went connected to go the superior of Telangana,” the root added.