Alliance with the BJP still on: TDP

The Telugu Desam Party, which pulled out of the Modi government this week, today said that though it was though it was "severely hurt" by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's remarks on assistance to Andhra Pradesh, its alliance with the BJP was "still on".

State Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu spoke to the press after a meeting that Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu held with him, senior minister K Kala Venkata Rao and others.

The state finance minister said that withdrawing from the central government was the first step and the party would have to see what the second step will be. He clarified that even though the alliance was intact, the TDP would still fight for securing the rights of Andhra Pradesh from the Centre.

"Withdrawing from the central government was the first step. We have to see what the second step will be. Our alliance is on, but we will still fight," he said. Also read: Modi tells TDP ministers, 'I am with Andhra'

"We are hurt severely by Jaitley's remarks. Not only us, the entire people of AP are hurt, except  YS Jaganmohan Reddy (leader of the opposition and YSRC chief) and the like," the minister said.

Asked about the YSR Congress' demand that the TDP should either move or support a no-confidence motion against the Modi government, he said that moving such a motion against an ally would be "unethical".

"We are an alliance party, we have some ethical values. Moving or supporting a no-confidence motion will be unethical," he noted, adding that this was the difference between the TDP and the YSRC.

The state finance minister also told reporters that the TDP has decided to "expose" the Centre on what it has done or not done for the state -- as promised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 -- by putting out relevant facts and figures before the people.

Yanamala and K Kala Venkata Rao slammed the YSRC chief, saying he was "only trying to get the criminal cases against him quashed by planning to go under the BJP umbrella".

The TDP ministers called the YSR Congress' demands for a no-confidence motion "ridiculous".

Meanwhile, a TDP source said the party would take up campaigns from the mandal level by publishing pamphlets and other material, listing facts and figures on the assistance the Centre rendered to the state since the bifurcation.

"We will tell the people why we could not achieve more progress in these four years despite best efforts," the source added.