BJP Gambit Pays Off, but Naidu Holds Trump Card

BJP Gambit Pays Off, but Naidu Holds Trump Card

Keywords: BJP, TDP, Jagan Mohan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh, Special Category Status

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has successfully managed to cobble together a majority in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly with the support of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). This has come as a relief to the saffron party, which was facing the prospect of being reduced to a minority in the southern state.

However, the BJP’s triumph is tempered by the fact that the TDP is still holding all the cards. TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu has made it clear that his party will not support any BJP-led government unless it agrees to accord Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.

SCS is a special status granted by the central government to states that are economically backward. It entitles such states to a variety of benefits, including increased central funding and tax breaks. The TDP has been demanding SCS for Andhra Pradesh since the state was bifurcated in 2014.

The BJP has so far resisted granting SCS to Andhra Pradesh, arguing that it is not a fiscally sustainable proposition. However, Naidu has threatened to withdraw his party’s support from the BJP-led government if the Centre does not concede his demand.

The BJP is now in a bind. If it grants SCS to Andhra Pradesh, it will set a precedent for other states to demand similar treatment. This could put a strain on the central government’s finances. However, if it refuses to grant SCS, it risks losing the support of the TDP and being reduced to a minority in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

The focus now shifts to Naidu. His demands and his dependability will be key in determining the future of the BJP-TDP alliance in Andhra Pradesh.