AP CM Chandrababu Naidu to visit Delhi; to secure state’s interests

Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee concluded her four-day visit in the national capital, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is all set visit New Delhi for two days. Naidu is expected to use the visit to put pressure on the Centre to fulfil Andhra Pradesh's demands. He will meet all floor leaders in Parliament and "explain the injustice being done to Andhra Pradesh".

The Telegu Desam Party (TDP) chief told party MPs that he will reach Delhi by Monday night and will stay in the capital for two days, on April 3 and 4.

Though the Left parties and other organisations suggested that the chief minister spend at least 10 days in the national capital, Naidu said he could not stay that long because of the ongoing budget session of the assembly.

According to TDP sources said that the purpose of the visit was "focused only on securing state's interests" and there was "nothing political" about Naidu's visit.

This will be Naidu's first visit to New Delhi after the TDP broke its alliance with the BJP in March, and exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). His party is banking on the opposition to support its no-confidence motion, and hopes it will be allowed for discussion in Parliament.

The TDP had been at loggerheads with the centre ever since the Union Budget 2018 was released, claiming that Andhra Pradesh was not given its due in terms of funding and that all the promises made to the state were also not fulfilled by the NDA government after AP's bifurcation from Telangana in 2014.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)