TDP MPs protest demaning special category status for Andhra Pradesh (File)
and Telegu Desam Party Supremo N Chandrababu Naidu after he announced last night that his party has decided to pull out two ministers from the Centre. The announcement came following Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement saying it would be difficult for the government to give Andhra "special status". Mr Naidu, who had joined the NDA 46 months ago, said the two ministers will send in their resignations this morning as the centre had not kept its promises. The two ministers who would quit are aviation minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and junior minister for science and technology Y S Chowdary. TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu, however, told NDTV that pulling out the ministers was the first step and that the next logical step was to exit the alliance.
TDP lawmakers have continuously pressured the government ever since the union budget was presented, disrupting parliament by shouting slogans demanding that Andhra Pradesh be given central funding under special status. Chandrababu Naidu made the announcement after discussions with his party members of Parliament in Delhi.
Here are the LIVE Updates on the row over Andhra Pradesh 'special status':
Read: PM Narendra Modi Speaks To Chandrababu Naidu, 2 Ministers Resign: 10 PointsThe Telugu Desam Party's two ministers in the central government met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening and handed him their resignation. Shortly before that PM Modi spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who, during the 10-minute conversation, formally conveyed the TDP's decision to pull out its two ministers over its demand for "special status" for the state. Sources said the conversation was cordial and did not reflect current tensions. Mr Naidu had said on Wednesday night that he had called PM Modi but could not reach him. "My OSD spoke to his OSD but the prime minister did not come on line," he said.
People of Andhra Pradesh have come forward, lots of sacrifice have been done. Expectations have come, they have to be met. Nationalised parties wanted division of state. BJP, NDA supported it, would never have happened if support wasn't given. Now, no one can put clock back and we have put forward our suggestions:
Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked us for working in the cabinet. As my colleague Mr Raju said, we will continue to be in NDA: YS Chowdary tells mediapersons in Delhi.
Already considerable amount of time has lapsed: YS Chowdary
I don't think it is fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It's for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed: TDP's YS Chowdary after resigning from the union government.
We are trying to get a solution: Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Solutions are being attempted and we are trying to get a solution to the problem. We will support the NDA, called on the PM, he is well aware of the issues. It was a cordial atmosphere: TDP Lawmaker Ashok Gajapathi Raju after tendering resignation as civil aviation minister.
Read: Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary's resignation letter
Read: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju's resignation letter
Will be happy when marriages happen, not when divorces: TDP leader YS Chowdary
Earlier in the day, TDP lawmaker YS Chowdary likened the decision to pull out of the union government as an unfortunate divorce. He said that he and Ashok Gajapathi Raju would continue to work as parliamentarians for Andhra Pradesh. "We will be happy when marriages happen, not when divorces happen. It is not a good move, but unfortunately due to unavoidable circumstances we had to take this move. We are stepping down as ministers, but our president has said we will be continuing as part of NDA," Mr Chowdary told reporters.
TDP ministers resign from union government
Two TDP ministers in the central government, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary, tenders resignation after meeting PM Modi.
TDP ministers to address media persons after meeting PM
The two TDP ministers in the central government, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary, will address a press conference at 7 pm in Delhi's Lodi Estate.
TDP ministers' resignation letter drafted in the Andhra Chief Minister's office
The two TDP ministers in the central government are Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary. Their resignation letters, which, sources said, are expected to articulate the TDP's resentment, were reportedly drafted in the Andhra Chief Minister's office in Amravati.
The two TDP Ministers in union government, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences Y S Chowdary, have reached PM Modi's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. Yesterday TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu announced that the two ministers will be resigning from their posts.
Aviation Minister and TDP lawmaker Ashok Gajapathi Raju arrives at YS Chowdary's residence
Classic case of opportunistic politics: BJP leader on TDP's exit
The TDP's decision to exit the NDA government at the Centre is a "classic case of opportunistic politics" by its president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a Telangana BJP leader has said. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had last night decided to pull out of union government and asked two of its ministers in the Union Cabinet to tender their resignations. "BJP considers it as a classic case of opportunistic politics by Chandrababu Naidu. It's also politics of convenience," Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said.
TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu told NDTV that the next "logical step" is to exit the BJP-led national alliance NDA, but Chandrababu Naidu seemed to leave options open, saying he would "plan further course of action" based on the Centre's reaction to his decision.
News agency ANI quoting sources reports that Chandrababu Naidu explained to PM Modi about reasons leading to its ministers at the union government resigning and TDP withdrawing from the centre.
Last night BJP Chief Amit Shah also spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chandrababu Naidu for about 10 minutes, reports NDTV's Uma Sudhir. TDP ministers in the union government will shortly meet PM Modi.
The two TDP Ministers in union government, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences Y S Chowdary, will be meeting PM Modi at 6pm today.
PM Narendra Modi speaks to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu amid row over "special status" to state.
The Left parties - the CPI and CPI(M) - too held a protest in Delhi. Part workers marched from Andhra Pradesh Bhavan to Shastri Bhawan demanding the special status for the state.
Andhra Pradesh Congress cadres protest for special status in Delhi
Congress cadres from Andhra Pradesh today held a protest march here for special status for their state and were detained by the Delhi Police when they tried to move towards the Parliament complex. Led by Rajya Sabha MP KVP Ramachandra Rao the scores of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee cadres staged a demonstration on Parliament Street raising their demand for special status category for the state.
TDP MP C Ramesh with a special T Shirt with six demands written on them.
TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu's Ministers Wait, BJP Ministers Quit In Andhra Pradesh: 10 PointsChandrababu Naidu's two ministers in the central government are yet to resign, but the BJP's two ministers in the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's state cabinet have quit this morning. Mr Naidu had late last night announced his decision to pull out his Telugu Desam Party's ministers from the centre, hours after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled out "special status" for Andhra Pradesh. TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu told NDTV that the next "logical step" is to exit the BJP-led national alliance NDA, but Chandrababu Naidu seemed to leave options open, saying he would "plan further course of action" based on the Centre's reaction to his decision." itemprop="description
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Jayadev Galla says, "Other parties who are sympathetic to our cause have also started protesting on various issues in support of us. Next step is coming out of the cabinet, after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement yesterday."
Chandrababu Naidu went on to say that, "What Arun Jaitley spoke yesterday is not good. You are holding hand of the North Eastern states but not Andhra Pradesh's. You are giving industrial incentives to them, not to Andhra Pradesh. Why this discrimination?"
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu says in the state assembly that, "Our ministers in central cabinet and BJP ministers in our cabinet have resigned. However, these ministers worked good in the state. They brought considerable reforms in their departments. I thank them for their services."
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP's are protesting outside Parliament over special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
TDP MPs protest inside Parliament premises over special category status to Andhra Pradesh. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Centre could not give Andhra Pradesh special category status as the provision no longer exists.
Renuka Chowdhury, Congress MP, says, "What crisis? This is like match fixing. They are still pretending to withdraw from the alliance. What would happen if two ministers resign? If you are serious do it seriously."
"Our two ministers in the government will be resigning today. No one from Andhra Pradesh was willing to bifurcate, all resources related to generation of employment were in Hyderabad, bifurcation was not done in an unscientific way", says Srinivas of TDP.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and minister of state for science and technology Y.S. Chowdary are going to give a statement in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively.
Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut says, "Shiv Sena had expected this. Other parties have walked out of NDA too. Allies no longer have good relations with BJP. Gradually their grudges will spill out and eventually they'll walk out of alliance."
Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju on being asked if he is going to step down says, "What silly questions!".
The two Bharatiya Janata Party members in the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, Kamineni Srinivas and Pydikondala Manikyala Rao, resigned today.
N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP To Pull Out 2 Ministers From NDA Centre Over 'Special Status' For Andhra Pradesh: 10 PointsThe Telugu Desam Party has decided to pull out its two ministers from the government over the centre's refusal to give Andhra Pradesh central funding under a "special status", Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced late on Wednesday evening. The decision was taken at a marathon meeting with party lawmakers, hours after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was seen to suggest that it would be difficult for the government to give Andhra "special status". Mr Naidu said the two ministers will send in their resignations this morning as the centre had not kept its promises." itemprop="description