BJP calm as TDP quits NDA, moves no-confidence move

New Delhi: Miffed over the BJP-led Central government’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, the state’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) quit the ruling alliance and moved a no-confidence motion in Parliament against the NDA government.

On its own the BJP has the numbers to defeat the no-confidence motion and, together with allies, the NDA has a brute majority. After the exit of TDP, the NDA has 314 members in the Lok Sabha, way above the half-way mark of 270 in the Lower House whose current strength is 539. If admitted, this will be the first no-confidence motion against the Modi government since it came to power in 2014.

The TDP, which has 16 MPs, had on Thursday offered to back a no-confidence motion moved by Andhra’s Opposition party, YSR Congress, but changed its mind and moved its own motion on Friday, hours after party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced in Amaravati that the party was exiting the NDA.

The TDP alleged a nexus between the YSR Congress, which has 9 MPs, and the BJP. Both the TDP and YSR Congress’ notices for the motion are pending and are likely to come up on Monday. The notices for the motion could not be taken up on Friday as there was no order in the House.

A no-confidence motion is admitted for discussion when a minimum of 50 MPs support it. Once the motion is admitted, the House debates and votes on it. If the motion is passed with a majority, the government falls.

The no-confidence notices were moved by YSR Congress member Y.V. Subba Reddy and TDP’s Thota Narasimham. The TDP’s no-confidence motion has so far found support from the Congress, with 48 MPs, the CPI(M) and the CPI, with 10 MPs together, and the AIMIM, with one MP.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, with 34 MPs, welcomed the TDP’s decision to quit the NDA but the West Bengal’s ruling party is yet to officially announce whether it will support the motion. Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK, which has 37 MPs, has said that it will support the motion only if the Centre refuses to set up the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC).

As TDP left the NDA fold, the Shiromani Akali Dal, the oldest member of the alliance with four MPs, said it is “solidly standing” with the BJP. Another ally, Shiv Sena, with 18 MPs, whose relations with the BJP have soured, is yet to officially declare its stand. Sources, however, said that if the motion is admitted and it reaches a stage where it is put to vote, the Sena could adopt a “neutral stand”. Telangana’s ruling TRS, with 11 MPs, has decided not to support the motion.

TDP chief Mr Naidu blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his party’s decision to pull out of the NDA. He said the Prime Minister was “responsible for injustice to Andhra Pradesh”. Two TDP ministers — Y.S. Chowdary and Ashok Gajapathi Raju — had resigned from the Modi government last week following the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Naidu said, “I took the decision not for selfish reasons but for the interests of Andhra Pradesh. For four years I made all efforts, went to Delhi 29 times, asked many times. This was the Centre’s last Budget and there was no mention of Andhra Pradesh.”

After quitting the NDA on Friday, the TDP wrote a letter to BJP president Amit Shah and other constituents of the NDA informing them about its decision to quit the NDA and the reasons for it, a party communique said. The government exuded confidence that it has the numbers to ride out the no-confidence motion crisis.

Countering TDP’s allegations, the BJP accused its former ally of resorting to “lies to cover up its inept and inert governance” and said that Andhra’s ruling party was using the special category status issue and no-confidence motion to retrieve lost political ground.

The BJP said that its divorce with the TDP is an opportunity for it to grow and emerge as a dominant force in Andhra Pradesh. Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said that the House has full confidence in Mr Modi and the government has the numbers to face a no-confidence motion. “We are ready to take on everything,” said Mr Kumar.

A Union Cabinet minister said the no-confidence motion will only “expose the Opposition parties which are lapping up any opportunity coming their way in their effort to defame the government”.

TDP’s arch-rival YSR Congress, led by Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, took a jibe at the Andhra’s ruling party for copying his party’s decision to move a no-confidence motion.

Mr Jaganmohan Reddy tweeted, “Even if guided by political compulsion, the TDP had to yet again follow YSRCP’s lead of moving no-confidence motion against the Central government. After 4 years of relentless struggle and fight by YSRCP with people’s support for special category status, finally the nation, including Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, wakes up!”