Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi to drum up support against Modi government

On his first visit to Delhi after the Telugu Desam Party pulled out of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday met leaders of several opposition parties and allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including Veerappa Moily of the Congress, Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party and Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

IMAGE: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu touched the stairs before entering Parliament. Naidu's act is reminiscent of what Prime  Minister Narendra Modi did when he entered Parliament for the first time as a MP in 2014. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

The meetings that took place at the Central Hall of Parliament were aimed at garnering support for the no-confidence motion against the NDA government moved by the Telugu Desam Party.

The TDP snapped its ties with the BJP alleging neglect of the southern state and failure of the Centre to grant special category state status to Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu also met Farooq Abdullah of the Nationalist Conference, Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress, D Raja of the Communist Party of India, AIADMK’s V Maitreyan, Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal and Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav among others, according to a statement issued by the chief minister’s media unit.

IMAGE: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as he arrives to attend the ongoing budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

In an apparent swipe at the Narendra Modi dispensation, TDP MP T G Venkatesh told reporters earlier in the day, “The chief minister is meeting key leaders in Parliament to send across a message to the country that not only making commitments, but honouring it also is very important.”

The TDP has alleged that the Centre failed to fulfil its commitments toward Andhra Pradesh, after the state was bifurcated in 2014.

TDP floor leader in Parliament, Thota Narasimham said, “The Centre is simply adjourning the House as they do not have answers to various questions that the opposition parties may put forth if the no-confidence motion is taken up for discussion. They say they have majority, then why not take it up?”